Quoile Bridge reopens after remedial works

Quoile Bridge reopens after remedial works

20 December 2023

THE Quoile Bridge in Downpatrick has reopened after being closed for repair.

Last month, the Department for Infrastructure decided to press ahead with repairs to the 100 year-old structure damaged in an accident and not wait until after the busy Christmas holiday period.

The bridge was due to remain closed until this Saturday but reopened to traffic last Friday – over a week earlier than planned.

Confirmation that repair work was underway came last month after the bridge was struck by what is believed to have been a lorry, prompting questions about its maintenance.

A large crack opened between the bridge wall and the road while one of the structure’s buttresses was reported to have collapsed.

Structural engineers carried out a detailed investigation of the bridge and heavy concrete bollards were initially placed either side of it to keep traffic away. 

They were subsequently removed to allow one part of the road over the bridge to reopen before it was closed completely to allow repair work to start.

Politicians had called for the outcome of the structural report to be made public, while Downpatrick traders warned any long term closure of one of the main arteries into the heart of the town would impact on the business community working hard to recover from the recent devastating flood which decimated the town centre.

Within hours of roads officials being made aware of the damage to the bridge, contractors arrived to remove grass blocking the flow of water under its archways. 

Debris was also removed from the old flood gates at the Quoile Road just a short distance away, while concern remains that overgrown foliage and the build-up of tonnes of silt and sludge at the archways under the Belfast Road bridge are stifling the flow of the waterway.

Up to 50 businesses were impacted by the flood with the cost of repairs, restocking and loss of business, estimated at well in excess of £10m.

Newry, Mourne and Down Council has called for an urgent inquiry into failures that led to flooding devastation, but the Department for Infrastructure insists that dredging “offers limited protection” against flooding and there are currently no plans in place to dredge the river.

It said unprecedented rainfall throughout the wettest October in over 153 years resulted in many watercourses in the south and east of Northern Ireland  rising to record levels, resulting in widespread flooding across this region.

“The Department understands the concerns in relation to flooding in Downpatrick; however dredging offers limited protection to mitigate against flooding on the scale experienced recently across the south and east area of Northern Ireland,” it said in a statement.

“Inspections are undertaken at the Quoile River to ensure that the water is free flowing.”

In the wake of the flood – which saw a number of businesses swamped with up to six foot of contaminated water – an online petition was launched calling for the river to be dredged.

The government department explained there are no plans in place to dredge the Quoile as it offers “limited protection” against flooding.

The online petition was started by Daniel Carling, a local environmental activist and angler, who said it was “vital” for the government to act as a matter of urgency “before we are flooded again”.

He believes the disaster which flooded businesses and the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway, “could have been avoided or at least minimised” if the Quoile had been dredged. 

Mr Carling claimed the amount of sediment building up on the riverbed drastically reduced its capacity to hold water. 

“For many years, local anglers have been raising the issue of dredging the Quoile and our concerns over flooding the local town,” he added.