Fears for Shannon bridge as costs rise

War in Ukraine impacts on major project

Tipperary County Council is “genuinely worried” about the implications for leading construction projects planned for the county, such as the new multi-million euro bridge over the River Shannon, due to new economic challenges, John Nolan a senior engineer with the local authority has said.

Speaking at the April meeting of the council, Cllr Phyll Bugler said local people were worried that the new bridge planned at Ballina-Killaloe may not go ahead as scheduled due to rising costs in building materials and the high level of inflation.

Mr Nolan said the council’s concern about the planned project stemmed from issues such as the recent outbreak of the war in Ukraine and how that would impact on major construction projects planned in County Tipperary.

He said the council were awaiting the deliberations of the Department of Finance in relation to the changed economic situation and could not itself provide “a magic answer” for communities such as those in Ballina-Killaloe concerned about the implications sparked by issues such as spiralling building costs.

However, Mr Nolan stressed that the council was pushing ahead with progressing all major construction projects planned for the county.

In the case of the planned Shannon crossing, a contract had been signed and the finalisation of a planned programme of works from the successful tender appointed to carry out the works was imminent.

But Mr Nolan said contractors who had signed up to major projects like that in Ballina-Killaloe were now themselves wondering how the Government was going to view such construction schemes in the light of the real challenges posed by the war and issues such as rising inflation and hike in building costs.

The contract for the construction of the long awaited bridge was finally signed just under four months ago, and was welcomed by members of the local community, who have had to put up with traffic gridlock because the centuries-old existing bridge is too narrow to cope with modern day traffic volumes.

Just before Christmas Tipperary and Clare County Councils announced that John Sisk & Sons (Holdings) Ltd, had been award the €43.7 million contract to build the new bridge.

The planned works, if they go ahead, will include much more than just the bridge itself. The project will include major improvement works on the R494 Birdhill-Ballina road that will lead on to the new crossing from the Tipperary side of the river.

The works will also include the construction of a by-pass of the town of Killaloe and a cycle lane will be developed along the length of the entire scheme, which runs to in excess of 6 kilometres.