The contractors involved in the construction of the Narrow Water Bridge have confirmed that the project is on course to be delivered on time and within budget.
The bridge will link Omeath in Co Louth with Warrenpoint on the other side of the border in Co Down.
The project aims to kickstart a new era of cross-border tourism in the area while also slashing the journey times of those who need to travel to the opposite side of Carlingford Lough.
Today, Taoiseach Micheál Martin paid a visit to inspect the work taking place at the construction site on the Omeath side of the bridge.
The project has received significant backing from the Government's Shared Island Initiative to the tune of more than €100 million.
The contractors behind the project, BAM, today confirmed that the bridge is on course to be fully operational by the end of 2027, without incurring any cost overruns.
BAM is also the contractor involved in the construction of the new children's hospital in Dublin, a project that has failed to meet its final deadline 15 times since 2020 and has seen significant cost overruns.
Once built, the 195-metre cable-stayed bridge will have designated vehicle, cycle and pedestrian lanes, and provide a direct link between the Cooley Peninsula and the Mourne Mountains.
The design of the bridge will allow for a section of it to be raised, permitting the through passage of boats on Carlingford Lough.
John O’Hagan, Senior Engineer with Louth County Council, which is the lead promoter of the project, has said that parts of the bridge will arrive here from Belgium in two stages.
He said: "In the first instance, you will see the thick span coming in. That is due in around the end of quarter one of next year. They will float up the river in three sections and then be put in place over a matter of months.
"In terms of the remainder of the bridge on the opening section, that will come in in March 2027. Again, it will float up the river but this time to Warrenpoint and then come down the A2 dual-carriageway to be sat in place.
Watch: Cross-border bridge to be finished on time - contractors
"At that stage, the marine works will commence again to remove those piles [that are currently in place]," Mr O’Hagan added.
Meanwhile, project director with contractors, BAM, William Diver today gave an update on the works that have already been carried out on both sides of the lough.
Mr Diver said: "A lot of the piling works have been completed on time. We’ve had a lot of environmental constraints to contend with, but that has all gone extremely well on the project."
He added that the abutment works, which refers to the construction of the ends of the bridge that will then support its spans, are also on schedule.
"The abutment works are on program and will complete now in the next month. And again, the bascule abutment on the northern side has commenced construction. That will continue now until probably September or October this year. And again, these works will be well completed in advance of the bridge arriving in from Belgium," Mr Diver said.
The Executive Director of BAM Ireland, Alasdair Henderson has said that the Narrow Water Bridge is an example of an infrastructure project that Ireland does "really well."
He said: "It’s a very visual expression of the Shared Island Initiative. What you see [here] is what happens when government invests in infrastructure for the country, you get these kinds of projects. They create employment, they create opportunity, they create tourism. It really does mean a success for the entire country.
"From a standpoint of how you construct these sorts of things, yes, on time, on budget, that’s how we do this, and that’s what BAM does as an organisation. But it’s also a measure of what the industry is capable of within this country. We have great capability within Ireland. We want to be making more of that and making sure that investment in the country yields benefits for society."
Mr Henderson added that he believes, once built, the Narrow Water Bridge will bring prosperity to the area.
"It links the peninsula and it links the mountains. It means tourists coming from Belfast come further south. It means tourists coming from Dublin come further north. It creates an economic incentive to be here, and that has huge benefits across the societies that are local and indeed wider in Ireland, a very good news story."
