€60m Tender for Narrow Water Bridge is now live

A Tender has been issued this week for the Narrow Water Bridge Project which proposes to build a bridge over the Newry River 400m south of Narrow Water Keep connecting the Omeath Road south of Ferry Hill to the Warrenpoint Dual Carriageway providing road, cycle and pedestrian access. Most importantly it will allow ships to access Newry Ship Canal and the Albert Basin.

As information in the Tender states "Due to the navigational requirements along the river for accessing Victoria Lock and the Albert Basin, the northern span of the bridge will be an opening movable span providing, when opened, an unlimited vertical clearance for at least a 20m wide navigational channel."

It is estimated that the total value of the tender excluding VAT will be €60m.

It is a massive move for the Narrow Water Bridge Community Network who have been campaigning for the bridge for many years and will be a major contribution to tourism in our entire area. It follows a €3m contribution towards the project from the Irish Government and a Bridge Order being made by the Department for Infrastructure in March of this year.

Planning permission is already in place for the 280m cable stayed bridge, anchored by two towers at either end, for car and cycle traffic.

TheTender explains "Due to the navigational requirements along the river for accessing Victoria Lock and the Albert Basin, the northern span of the bridge will be an opening movable span providing, when opened, an unlimited vertical clearance for at least a 20m wide navigational channel. The structure is a two span cable stayed bridge with an asymmetric arrangement. The south span is approx 138.35 m and the north span is approx 56.8 m giving a total length of approx 195m."

The awarded applicant will have to deal with: Site set up, site clearance, fencing; - Roadworks, service diversions, culvert construction; - Attenuation / pollution control pond, construction of maintenance and control buildings; - Design and Installation of mechanical, electrical and control systems and equipment for opening span; - Provision of traffic management system for construction / reconstruction of road; - Construction of greenway underpass; - Construction of the towers; - Construction of the abutments; - Construction of the piles, pile cap and column pier supports - Fabrication and erection of the deck steelwork, cable stay erection; - Variable Message Signs for opening bridge.

Applicants have until 12 noon 9 November 2022 to get their application in.