Monasterevin’s oldest bridge to get facelift

Kildare County Council has applied to An Bord Pleanála to make remediation work on the protected 18th century structure Passlands Bridge, north of Monasterevin.

This formality must be maintained according to the Planning and Development Act 2010 since the council added this five-arch bridge to its Protected Structures list back in May 2002.

Built some time in the 1750s it is believed to be the oldest bridge of the 25 in the town, and “ is of considerable historical and social significance, as a reminder of the road network development in Ireland in the mid eighteenth century,” according to the National Built Heritage Service.

The work is required on account of the number of vehicle strikes, causing damage to both the parapets, and the pier cutwaters. Cutwaters are the pointed parts of the bridge in the water which help the structure’s hydrodynamics.

“Longitudinal cracking has been noted” according to a council engineering assessment, and the works will consist of a reconstruction of the cutwaters, repairs to the parapet, the installation of rubbing strips, and the removal of vegetation Because of its location within the Barrow Special Area of Conservation, both an Natura Impact Statement and an Environmental Impact Assessment have been submitted with the application, and will be available for public perusal at Aras Cill Dara from 4 December to 24 January.

This is also the last date on which submissions or observations can be made on the topic to An Bord Pleanála.