Is Saving £10m worth the loss of Newry's Maritime Heritage?

A bridge that Department for Infrastructure have said is their 'preferred option' for crossing Newry Ship Canal could cost just over £10m more if an opening structure was incorporated. The DfI announced in March 2023 that a 50 metre fixed bridge has been adopted as its preferred option for the historic Newry Ship Canal, a Scheduled Monument. If a fixed structure is built it will bring to an end 200 years of maritime connection between Newry and the world.

A total of seven bridge options were considered by DfI with the cheapest one costing just £10.4m to enable tall ships and yachts to continue to reach the Albert Basin in the city. It may sound like a large sum of money but as part of a project that is at this stage likely to cost well over £100m it is a relatively minor considerations when heritage needs to be protected.

Essentially when considering what width is needed to open to allow ships in, the width of Victoria Lock where the canal meets Newry River/ Carlingford Lough is the major factor. The lock can facilitate ships up to 10 metres wide. A 20 metre span opening bridge, just wider than the lock, with piers located in the navigable channel, inside Newry Ship Canal Scheduled Monument extent was estimated to cost £25.9m compared to £15.41m for a 50 metre fixed bridge - a difference of £10.40m.

Seven bridges were considered by the Department for Infrastructure in the initial consultation on the bridge over Newry Ship Canal as part of the Southern Relief Road Project, which plans to link the Warrenpoint Dual Carriageway at Greenbank to the A1. The project has received £93.4m funding from the Belfast Region City Deal fund.

Other opening options considered included a 35 metre opening bridge estimated to cost £17.67m more,  a 45 metre opening bridge est cost £20.11m more and a 65 metre opening bridge est cost £31.59m more

On the same waterway plans are at an advanced stage for a tourist bridge at Narrow Water, Warrenpoint. This bridge will open to allow tall ships to enter. Blocking Newry Ship Canal by the Southern Relief Road bridge just 6km away  would mean that ships going through the Narrow Water Bridge would literally have nowhere to go!

Information was received via a request from the Department for Infrastructure.