Protestors determined not have a fixed bridge over troubled water

MARITIME enthusiasts concerned regarding the proposed construction of a fixed bridge across the Albert Basin Canal have descended upon Newry Leisure centre to ensure their voices are heard in protest against the decision to build the structure.

The bridge, which is planned to be a 50-meter fixed non-opening bridge, comes as part of the DfI's planned Southern Relief Road project.

If built the bridge would act as a vital traffic link between the Belfast to Dublin road and Newry to Warrenpoint road, enabling commuter's and commercial vehicles to circumvent the city entirely when travelling to and from both locations.

Whilst this would result in a significant decrease in traffic congestion the fact that the structure is planned to be a fixed bridge of 50m that cannot open would mean that only a select number of smaller vessels would be permitted to safely pass underneath it.

It is therefore feared that if built the fixed bridge would act as a final nail in the coffin of the Albert Basins maritime traffic and economy, a cessation which the basin would ultimately never recover from.

This is a fact not lost on Mr Peter Maxwell of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland, who stated that by his own approximation a fixed bridge would prevent any “large ships or yachts” from entering into the canal.

Making a point

“There was a presentation held relating to the Southern Relief road in the Leisure Centre. There were static boards in the leisure centre from the start of last week and the there were DfI staff present last Thursday as well. As a consequence, we held a protest outside the leisure centre at midday in protest against the decision to implement a fixed bridge over the Newry Canal as part of the Southern Relief road project. This is to make a point.

“We were there acting as part of the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland. We were the largest body of people there and also in attendance was RARE from Rostrevor. We held our protest outside and then we went in and there was a large discussion with Acron the consultants on this project and the DfI road service.” Mr Maxwell explained why it is he believes a fixed bridge over the Newry canal is a bad idea.

“A fixed bridge will stop any large ship or even any yachts over the height of 30 feet from getting into the canal. We staged this protest because the department is not listening to us. It is not even a minister that has taken this decision because at the moment we have no minister, it has been a civil servant that has made a decision to go ahead with the implementation of a fixed bridge over the canal.

“ Whilst I will make no bones about the point that there are few ships of this size that come into the canal, this is only now, who knows what the future is going to bring.

“The Albert Basin has such potential for a mariner and a boating centre. The boats themselves liven up the area and the whole area is going to look desolate with no boats in it so you may as well just fill it in as it is not going to be anything else. This also irreversible. Once this bridge is in they are not going to close the road to build an opening section and it will be gone forever, an opportunity lost.

“We will not give up and we have a few more lines of enquiry following todays meeting and we have not given up. Ultimately Newry city is the one that is going to lose out because in the long-term the basin is a huge asset to the city.”