Bridge is now cleaner and stronger with better lighting but has lost its bounce
After being closed for over three months to allow for maintenance, painting and repairs, the De Lacy footbridge that spans the River Boyne linking the North Quay to the Scotch Hall Shopping Centre reopened this evening Tuesday September 6, 2022.
The Chief engineer on the job, Eddie Phelan of VCL Consultants told Drogheda Life that all sorts of technical improvements such as the installation of sliding joints had been carried out on the bridge which was bult in 2005.
But the main difference noticeable to the public is that “the De Lacy bounce” is no more. Eddie explained that the bounce, while it was never dangerous, did cause joints to wear more quickly so that the next refit will not be due for a long time into the future.
Another thing that people crossing the bridge may well notice is the new deck lights in the floor of the structure.
Eddie was keen also to tell us about the new lighting projectors on both sides of the bridge which he said are programmable so that different coloured lights can be programmed to turn the bridge any colour for special occasions such as St. Patrick’s Day.
Although there was no ceremony and the opening was not announced in advance, it took only seconds for pedestrians to realise that the bridge was open and after a minute or two it was as if it had never closed.
The first members of the public to cross the bridge were Ieva, Krista and Ollie Ofmane from Termon Abbey (pictured below) who had been doing some shopping in Scotch Hall.
