Salmon Weir gets new bridge
The construction of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge at Salmon Weir will get underway by the end of 2020, a meeting of Galway City Council was told on Monday.
The bridge and associated plaza areas, which are estimated to cost around €8 to €10 million to complete, will make crossing the Corrib a safer prospect for those on foot and on two wheels – with the narrow footpaths on the existing bridge posing a danger to the thousands using it every day.
€3.5 million sourced under the EU Designated Urban Centres Grant Scheme for the proposed Galway Library and Cultural Centre on the Headford Road has been re-allocated to the bridge – as the Council was not ready to progress that plan and risked losing the funding.
The National Transport Authority has agreed to co-fund the bridge and has committed a further €3.68 million, bring the total to €7.18 million – with City Council to fund the remaining costs.
“It’s not often I walk into something like this where the estimate is €7.2 million and we’ve delivered it,” said City Chief Executive, Brendan McGrath.
See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale now.