A review will now take place of both the project costs and the available funding for the Narrow Water Bridge.
Louth County Council confirmed that the proposed cross-border bridge to link Co Louth is now on hold following the receipt of tenders ranging from US$33 million to US$51 million plus tax.
The bridge across the Newry River at Narrow Water has the support of the Republic of Ireland of Ireland and Northern Ireland governments and secured funding of approximately US$22 million earlier this year. The project was approved last year by planning authorities on both sides of the border.
A spokesperson for Louth County Council said: “Having examined all of the tenders received from contractors competing to build the bridge, it is clear that their estimates of the cost of construction are considerably higher than the figures we have been working with to date. This leaves us with a substantial funding shortfall. Our focus now is on seeing if this can be filled through any combination of additional funding and cost reductions.
“While our ambition remains to see this socially and economically desirable project through to completion, the reality is that it is now effectively on hold. At this time, we want to record our appreciation for the support that we have received to date from all of the various stakeholders in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.”
The current Narrow Water Bridge project began in 2008 when Louth County Council engaged Roughan O’Donovan Consulting Engineers to design a bridge in keeping with the outstanding natural beauty in the area.
