HGVs struggling to pass prompts call to widen bridge in Leitrim town

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) will be contacted by Leitrim County Council regarding the potential widening of the bridge in Carrick-on-Shannon, as heavy goods vehicles are struggling to pass each other. 

Cllr Cormac Flynn raised the issue at January’s meeting of Carrick-on-Shannon Municipal District, requesting that the Council ask TII to remove the footpaths and replace them with a narrow bridge parapet to protect the bridge from vehicular strikes. 

He noted that this would help widen the bridge for heavy goods vehicles, reduce unnecessary delays, and that pedestrians should use the cantilever bridge to cross the Shannon.

Cllr Flynn told the meeting he had seen two vehicles recently struggling to pass each other on the bridge, “It’s the width of the footpath that stopped them from passing each other. With the Cumann na mBan bridge, those footpaths are redundant and take up space,” he said.

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“With the cantilever bridge working so well, I thought it would be an opportunity to remove the footpaths, thus widening the bridge and making it easier for vehicles to cross,” he added.

District engineer Emma Donohoe said that similar motions have been proposed in the past but did not progress, as TII stated it did not have remit and noted that the footpath also acts as a buffer zone to protect the bridge parapet.

A response from the Roads Department explained that the current footpath on the upstream side is closed to pedestrians.

“Both existing footpaths at the bridge are now known as rubbing strips or buffers to protect the existing bridge parapets. These concrete buffers cannot be removed or adjusted as they contain telecom, water, and other utilities,” the response stated.

Cllr Flynn suggested asking whether the road could be raised to the level of the footpath, which would widen the road while enabling barriers to be positioned against the parapets.

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Ms Donohoe confirmed that the matter will be raised with TII, but noted it was not considered last time.