Irish Rail to ‘motor on’ despite objections over Limerick bridge

PLANS to raise a railway bridge over the River Maigue in Adare to accommodate a flood relief scheme look to be on shaky ground due to two objections.

An Bord Pleanala (ABP) are due to deliver a decision based on the objections in the new year. However, Iarnród Éireann (IE) believe it could take a lot longer for ABP to deliver their decision on whether they grant the green light to raise the bridge or not.

David Vaughan, programme manager, design and construction for IE gave an update on the Limerick-Foynes railway project to councillors at the latest municipal meeting of Adare-Rathkeale.

Mr Vaughan said they need to be in a position to “motor on” with the project and this means they cannot let the raising of the railway bridge delay the overall project.

A spokesperson for IE said that their “default position is that the bridge will be reinstated in April at the same height as previous”.

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“The proposal to raise the bridge is caught in a planning appeal process for an indeterminate period. The bridge needs to be back in place for the track laying activity which is working in one direction towards Limerick and is on the critical path of the whole Foynes rail line project,” the spokesperson said.

The bridge is considered a “key interface” of the project.

IE say the raising of the bridge would mitigate a flood risk to the railway and a local flood risk in Adare in advance of the delivery of the rest of the Adare Flood Relief Scheme and in advance of the line becoming operational.

Adare has long been afflicted by flooding from the River Maigue. Reports of major flooding in Adare go as far back as 1946. Limerick City and County Council and the Office of Public Works (OPW) are progressing a flood relief scheme for Adare.

IE are currently making provisions to facilitate the future lifting/jacking up of the bridge to minimise the cost and disruption of any future raising work, whenever there is consent in place and funding available.

“These provisions include small steel plates under the bridge that are easily installed now but would be difficult and expensive to install when the bridge is in situ. There will be no change to the appearance of the bridge in allowing for future jacking. There is of course a cost to such an approach, which we estimate would be in the region of €1m to €1.5m,” a spokesperson for IE said.