Opinion

Both bridges should be built

PLANS for a new pedestrian bridge across the River lagan in Belfast have quickly reached an advanced stage and a reasonable case can certainly be put forward for its approval.

It would allow members of the public both on foot and on bikes an alternative route towards the city centre, at a cost to the northern Ireland Executive estimated at up to £10m, which could not be regarded as excessive. at the same time, many taxpayers who happen to live outside Belfast may note that there are already seven bridges in place across the lagan along a stretch of roughly two miles from stranmillis to the M3 motorway.

The new facility would be within a short walk of both the Ormeau and al-bert bridges, and so, while it would be convenient for pedestrians, it would be difficult to describe it as an absolute priority. a very different set of circumstances surrounds the proposed narrow Water Bridge across Carlingford lough, in a location where no other crossing points are presently available.

It would link Warrenpoint in Co Down with Omeath in Co louth with a drive of less than five minutes replacing the present 14-mile trip via the heavily congested city of newry, which can take over half an hour.

In addition to the obvious benefits for residents of the area, it would also open enormous new tourist potential for the major scenic attractions in and around the Mourne Mountains and the Cooley Peninsula and give a considerable boost to the construction industry there.

To the intense frustration of supporters of the narrow Water scheme, a persistent lack of political enthusiasm in some quarters was followed last year by complications over tendering.

It had originally been officially calculated that the new bridge should cost around £15m, which would have been almost entirely covered by a European Union grant but was a surprisingly low figure for a major cross-border development. a number of contractors said that a further £10m could be required to complete the work, leading to the suspension of the process until renewed expressions of interest emerged in recent days.

If, by a happy coincidence, £10m is exactly the sum which the authorities can now offer for a different bridge in a district already well served by a comprehensive transport infrastructure, one obvious solution presents itself.

However, rather than pit one project against another, there is a clear opportunity for our elected representatives to demonstrate that they are capable of delivering positive results on both fronts.

Tens of millions of pounds have been completely wasted in recent years preparing the way for the upgrading of the a5 road, the construction of the new police training college in Cookstown and the transformation of the Maze/long Kesh site, only for nothing to happen due to a lack of consensus.

The provision of two new bridges, offering both practical and symbolic advantages for a relatively modest outlay, would be a significant achievement, if the political will exists to make it possible.