Bridge repair works progressing

By Dan Walsh

Damaged bridges in the Enniscorthy Municipal District area during the Christmas Day torrential rainfall are making progress according to Neil Dempsey, Executive Engineer, in his report to members at Monday’s monthly meeting,

A section of the road damaged by floods has been resurfaced and stone walls rebuilt on the Kilcarbry to Borrmount road. Works on the bridge are progressing well and it is anticipated that the road will re-open to traffic by the end of March.

Resurfacing works have started on the Ballyroebuck-Kiltilly road in North Wexford. Repair to Kiltilly Bridge is awaiting on ESB approval, but Wexford County Council is ready to start works once the ESB make safe their services.

At Wilton Bridge, near Bree, works are expected to commence in early April with the removal of a damaged section and debris from the River Boro and the Council is awaiting contractor availability.

Subject to a thorough inspection it is a possibility that Wilton Bridge may be demolished altogether and replaced by a new structure; such is the extent of the damage.

WexfordLocal.com has learned from expert sources that the massive damage to the bridges at Kilcarbry and Wilton was mainly caused by massive tree trunks breaking their roots and carried at speed on the rushing flood waters and striking the bridges with excessive force.

It was reported by Council Engineer, Eamonn Hore at the January meeting of Wexford County Council that the Christmas Day rainfall was the greatest since 1947!

On Christmas Day, 2021, at Johnstown Castle 58.9mm fell in 24 hours, however, 55.2mm fell in 12 hours and 34.7mm fell in six hours which indicates the severity of the rainfall in a concentrated time frame. This was a climate record in the 81.1 years of the metrological station at Johnstown Castle.