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The Old Newry Society have 'nailed their colours to the mast' literally in regards to the Department for Infrastructure's Southern Relief Road scheme which plans to block Newry Ship Canal with a fixed bridge.
In a submission to the department the group stated that Newry's maritime access made it an industrial player long before the development of Belfast
The submission explained "From its origins, Newry has been a maritime town! Obvious pointers are in its name, "yew tree at the head of the strand", and its streets; Quay St., Boat St., Water St., River St. Before the current Ship Canal was built, shipping access to and from the town, was via the Clanrye River at its Quay Street, Boat Street junction. It was Newry's maritime access that made it an industrial asset long before Belfast was developed."
Continuing the Society suggested putting a toll on the bridge "It is obvious that a Relief Road is needed to facilitate Warrenpoint Harbour. Surely, with all the technology, experiences gained and mechanical availability today this can be provided without destroying one of Newry's treasured and valued assets.
"If the real purpose of the proposed bridge is to facilitate the Harbour traffic surely a Toll could be placed on using the bridge to off-set the cost of making it an Opening Bridge. Given the serious hold-up for this traffic getting through Newry to and from the Harbour would make this a price worth paying. To ensure such a Toll would not lead to hold-ups accessing the Bridge, arrangements could be made, for example, to having the Toll collected at the Harbour."
In a warning to the department on taking advice from our local council the submission concluded "Please do not depend on any advice on the matter from the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council. When it was Newry Urban District Council in the early 1960's it considered filling in the through-town Canal to facilitate car-parking and, in the late 1970's, as N&M DC, it had all the town Canal bridges converted to low level concrete constructs that not even a child can enjoy rowing through the town."
If you want to make a submission on the Southern Relief Road go to www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk where you will find details on how to do so.
