CAMPAIGNERS for a cross-border bridge linking Counties Down and Louth hope it is "firmly within grasp" following its inclusion in the New Decade New Approach deal.
The Narrow Water Bridge Community Network said it is "extremely significant" that the stalled project was included in a list of infrastructure commitments that could receive funding.
Spokesman Jim Boylan said "the people of the Carlingford Lough area should take heart".
The Narrow Water Bridge would span the picturesque lough between Omeath in Co Louth and Narrow Water Castle near Warrenpoint, Co Down.
Planning permission was granted in 2012, with funding secured from the European Union and governments on both sides of the border.
But the project was shelved the following year after it emerged costs had been significantly underestimated.
Louth County Council said the €18m originally budgeted for was at least €12m shy of what was required.
Despite an eleventh-hour bid to meet the shortfall, the withdrawal of EU funding, which led to Stormont pulling out, saw the proposal collapse.
Campaigners remain adamant the project should go ahead.
In a statement, they said they are "convinced of the potential for the Narrow Water Bridge to be truly transformative".
"It will unite communities around the lough creating a natural interconnector for the scenic areas of Cooley, Gullion and Mourne," they said.
Meanwhile, new infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon said yesterday she was delighted to be taking on the portfolio that is "so important to the daily lives of all our people, our communities, our environment and our economy".
Speaking on her first day in the job, she said: "Having a modern and sustainable water, drainage and transport infrastructure is essential if we are to grow our economy and improve the lives of everyone.
"While I understand there are challenges ahead, not least given underinvestment in recent years, I am looking forward to developing new proposals to address regional imbalance and support a thriving region where people want to live, work and invest.
"I am also committed to working to deliver the infrastructure needed to improve connectivity, grow the all-island economy and play our part in tackling the climate emergency."
