30 Comments
Opinion
When the Department for Infrastructure builds its fixed bridge as promised over the historic Newry Ship Canal, a listed heritage monument, it will sound the death knell for not just the Ship Canal but for any possibility of Newry City ever reaping a tourism dividend in the future.
Do us residents of this city which dates back to 1157 and beyond want to sit back and allow this to happen to what is the oldest canal in Ireland having opened in 1742?
The bridge is part of their plans for the Southern Relief Road from the Warrenpoint Dual Carriageway to the Belfast-Dublin road that will travel over the Newry River and the Newry Ship Canal through Bensons Glen and join the A1.
Lets dispel a few myths first:
Myth 1: The Southern Relief Road Project is for the benefit of Newry - The SRR is NOT for the benefit of Newry. If it was, there would be an opening bridge over our iconic and stunning canal. The SRR is for the benefit of Warrenpoint Port and Belfast.
Myth 2: The bridge isn't designed to be opened because of cost - This project has been granted £93.4m in 2021. The Department for Infrastructure have stated that an opening bridge including years of operating and maintenance would cost an extra £10.4m (£5.82m for bridge and £4.58m for operating and maintenance). With current inflation the SRR project most likely has overrun by tens of millions of pounds already. Another 10 million or so on such a large project is small change.
Myth 3: The SRR is essential as it will somehow solve Newry's traffic problems - Do I even have to address this one. Newry and everywhere elses traffic problems are caused by too many vehicles not too few roads. Less articulated lorries in Newry will soon be replaced by more and more vehicles and we are back to square one, only our Canal is gone for good! A new road bring more traffic not less. And don't forget the new road would be a perfect route to take into or out of town via Kilmorey Street, missing out all those pesky traffic lights on the Dublin Road.
Myth 4: It will lead to a much better air quality in our city - With the new road attracting lots more lorries to and from Warrenpoint climbing up that long hill to the Flagstaff the additional emmisions have to go somewhere with the potential to add to our city's polution woes not lessen them.
Outrageous
The proposal that we should destroy Newry Ship Canal and 250 years of maritime heritage for a road that will provide no benefit to Newry and will almost certainly make air quality and traffic congestion worse than it is now, is outrageous and a complete insult to our community.
Around 50 years ago houses in North Street and Water Street in Newry were bulldozed and a major road ripped the heart out of our town, Let's not make the same mistake we made in the 1960's by allowing Belfast bureacrats to once more devastate Newry's heritage for the benefit of Belfast's economy.
The Department for Infrastructure are currently holding a Environmental Impact Assessment Consultation for their Southern Relief Road project.
Please send your comments on how you feel the bridge/road will impact the environment and Newry to nsrrConsultations@aecom.com as soon as possible, but no later than 25th September 2023.
