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Famous Antrim bridge replaced

Antrim - Revamp for famous rope bridge
Antrim - Revamp for famous rope bridge

One of Northern Ireland's most popular tourist attractions, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, is being replaced in time for the upcoming tourist season.

A team of workers has spent the day connecting the £16,000 new bridge from the mainland on the Antrim coast to a rocky outcrop in the Atlantic.

The new bridge, suspended 20m above the ocean, is made of wire rope and Douglas Fir timber, and replaces earlier structures that were made almost entirely of rope.

Last year the bridge attracted 230,000 visitors.

The bridge was originally erected so fishermen could get to the salmon fishing waters off the coast. Fisherman still use it, but with all the visitors a sturdier structure was needed.