DFI hope to temporarily reopen Kilrea Bann Bridge within weeks

The DFI has told Causeway Coast and Glens Council they should have Kilrea Bann Bridge open temporarily within weeks. 

The bridge was closed last month after a safety inspection identified vertical and diagonal cracking on the retaining wall. 

The updates on Kilrea Bann Bridge were delivered at Causeway Coast and Glens Council meeting on Tuesday. 

Sinn Fein Councillor Sean Bateson raised the issue saying the closure of the bridge is having a “massive impact on people’s daily lives”. 

He said: “I understand the bridge had to close due to safety concerns but this is having a massive impact on businesses, schools, and families commuting to work. Businesses have been on to me recently saying their profit margins are seriously down.  The longer this goes on the more of an impact it is going to have in the area. I know investigatory works are ongoing but are there any updates?” 

A spokesperson for DFI answered Cllr Bateson’s question saying: “Yes this is something that will have a big impact on the local community. We did have to impose an emergency closure on the Bann Bridge due to the risk of collapse of the retaining wall on one of the approaches. I can confirm that the initial survey work is being carried out at the minute and a contract package is being prepared. This will hopefully be issued within the next couple of weeks or sooner if we can. I believe we have already had a couple of specialist contractors looking at the bridge to see what potential measures could be brought in. Our aim is to get the bridge open as quickly as we can. This is probably going to be a temporary measure to allow and access what we can do on a more permanent basis. I can assure you that our staff are working at pace to try and get some sort of solution. I do realise there is a big impact there on the local community, particularly in Kilrea but further afield too.” 

A temporary solution according to the DFI will look like structural tie bars which will encompass the road. This measure would stop the retaining wall from cracking any further or coming down completely. DFI hopes this will buy time to come up with a more permanent solution. 

Cllr Bateson brought forward the idea of a compensation package for businesses who have been affected by this and the possibility of the construction of a new bridge. 

A spokesperson for the DFI said: “Normally compensation in this instance isn’t issued. The department doesn’t have the remit to do that but if there is a strong case to be made then maybe that is a case that can be made directly to the minister to see if there is something within her powers she can do. 

“In terms of the long term for the bridge. The bridge itself is not the issue, it is stable. It is the approach to the bridge on one side of the retaining wall. To even rebuild the retaining wall would be months of work. In terms of a replacement structure, I wouldn’t like to think what it would cost today to make that type of bridge. Given the current economic climate it just isn’t something we would be looking at. There would be a case to debate for it in the longer term but at this stage we are getting what is already there working again.” 

DFI hopes to have a page up and running updates of Kilrea Bann Bridge within the next couple of days.