The Obelisk Bridge set to reopen in May
The Obelisk Bridge is set to reopen next month having been closed since last August to accommodate the completion of major refurbishment work.
It will be welcome news for users of the popular commuter link between Meath and Drogheda who for the last number of months have had to traverse the town to travel from north to south, use a back route, or pay a toll.
Last February, the Department of Transport approved funding of €1m for improvement works to the bridge which is nearby to Oldbridge House and dates back to 1868.
The funding was part of a €626m investment programme for 2023 for regional and local roads announced by Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan T.D. and Minister of State Jack Chambers T.D.
The single-span, iron girder, road bridge over the River Boyne near Townley Hall was built in 1868 and was designed by engineering company A. Tate and the county surveyors for Meath and Louth, Samuel Searanke and John Neville.
There had been much controversy over the closure of the historic Boyne Obelisk Bridge with a number of protests taking place against the move and a campaign was established to abolish the M1 Motorway toll.
An update on the works was provided in the recent monthly management report to council.
A spokesperson for Louth County Council said:
"Louth County Council can confirm that despite adverse weather conditions disrupting works throughout the project, works on the Obelisk Bridge are on schedule, with the bridge expected to be reopened towards the end of May. It is anticipated that the deck pour will commence next week. "
Fine Gael Cllr Paddy Meade said that he "strongly welcomes" the reopening of the bridge. He added;
"Two divided communities will be brought back together and the thousands of tourists looking to visit Oldbridge will no longer back up side roads.
"The catch however is that thousands of people avoiding the toll will also be back onto the rural roads of Donore and so my campaign to see the M1 Toll removal on the Donore exit will continue."
Labour Cllr Elaine McGinty also welcomed the news but added that it was not going to change the area's serious traffic problem.