Marc Ó Cathasaigh
Question:
75. Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh asked the Minister for Transport if he has engaged with Irish Rail on repairs necessitated to the Barrow Bridge owing to a bridge strike; if the company has advised him on the timeline for those repairs, including the processing of the relevant insurance claim, and future plans for the use of the Barrow Bridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1946/23]
View answer
I can confirm that officials in my Department have engaged with Iarnród Éireann in relation to the bridge strike at Barrow Bridge, short-term remedial actions to ensure safety, and the longer-term repair works required.
Noting Iarnród Éireann's responsibility in the matter in the first instance, I have referred the Deputy's questions to IÉ for a more detailed reply on the specific issues raised. Please contact my private office if you do not receive a reply within 10 days. End of Take
A referred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 51.
I refer to your recent email of 3rd January via our dedicated Oireachtas Mailbox regarding Barrow Bridge Repairs and your subsequent Parliamentary Question 1946/23 below to Mr. Eamon Ryan, T.D., Minister for Transport, which has been passed to me to respond directly. Dail Question No: 75 To ask the Minister for Transport if he has engaged with Irish Rail in relation to repairs necessitated to the Barrow Bridge owing to a bridge strike; if the company has advised him on the timeline for those repairs, including the processing of the relevant insurance claim, and future plans for the use of the Barrow Bridge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. Barrow Bridge Repairs - Background On February 26th, 2022, a vessel collided with the eastern face of the protection dolphin of the pivot pier of the opening span of the bridge. The pivot pier consists of 4 No. cast-iron cylinders with a rotation mechanism, and the protection dolphin consists of timber piles and fendering, and also houses the locking mechanism for the swing span that allows it to be held in place while in the open position. The impact from the vessel (dead-weight tonnage of 5,171 tonnes) caused the dolphin to deform westward and consequently moved the locking mechanism out of its position; preventing the swing span from being secured while in its open position. Following initial inspections by Iarnród Éireann, a team from Roughan & O’Donovan Consulting Engineers (ROD), with assistance from movable bridge specialists Hardesty & Hanover (H&H), conducted an inspection of the dolphin structure and opening mechanism on August 24th, 2022. It was found that the dolphin absorbed the energy of the collision but has permanently deformed. Due to this permanent damage, significant rehabilitation works will be required in order to restore the protection to the pivot pier and reset the locking mechanism to its original position. Environmental and Geotechnical Constraints A review has been undertaken on the environmental constraints for the rehabilitation works under a number of factors: population, biodiversity, hydrology and hydrogeology, landscape and visual, noise and vibration, air quality and climate, archaeology, architecture and cultural heritage, and material assets.
- Under population, the primary constraints concern the movement of passenger and commercial vessels through the navigable channel at the bridge during construction works, as well as the potential water quality impacts these works would have on commercial shellfish operations in the harbour.
- Under biodiversity, the primary constraints concern the River Barrow and River Nore watercourses and drainage into European and Nationally designated sites and habitats; as well as the impact on aquatic species which are present in downstream and within transitional waterbodies in the surrounding area. Additional constraints include the presence of wintering bird species and protected mammals, and the potential spread of invasive species.
- Under hydrology and hydrogeology, identified constraints include the potential for contamination of groundwater due to in-stream works, and potential water quality impacts to the New Ross Port and Lower Suir Estuary transitional waterbodies, as both are already defined as being ‘at risk’ of not meeting their Water Framework Directive objectives and works may exacerbate this risk. • Under landscape and visual, the existing bridge is located within a Protected View under the Kilkenny City and County Development Plan 2021-2027, and the area is classified as having moderate to high landscape sensitivity. • Under noise, no sensitive receptors have been identified within, or in vicinity of, the proposed works area.
- Under air quality and climate, identified constraints include the potential for dust emissions generated from construction activities to impact aquatic species in the River Barrow and Rive Nore SAC’s.
- Under archaeology, architecture and cultural heritage, the primary constraint is the effect of the works on the Barrow Bridge itself and the nearby Snow Hill Railway Tunnel; both of which are protected structures. Furthermore, there are two wreckage sites within 500m of the protection dolphin, and potential for unknown archaeology located within, or in the vicinity of, the proposed works area. Following consultations with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it has been recommended that an Underwater Archaeological Impact Assessment (UAIA) report be compiled and submitted to the Department prior to the works. Under material assets, identified constraints include the requirement for a foreshore licence and Section 50 Consent from the Office of Public works under the Arterial Drainage Act 1945. In addition, a ‘lower tier’ SEVESO site (Great Island Power Station) is approximately 600m for the site and, as such, the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) may need to be notified and consulted as part of the planning stage. A desktop study has been undertaken on the existing geotechnical and geological characteristics of the site, however ground conditions and general riverbed conditions at the location of the Barrow Bridge are not clearly understood. Geotechnical investigation to determine bedrock characteristics, and geophysical surveys to determine shallow geological conditions are required to understand the site conditions. Notably, it is not envisaged that karst landforms or features are present in the area. Structural Rehabilitation ROD, on behalf of IÉ, have assessed a number of rehabilitation options for the protection dolphin at the pivot pier. Within this, a detailed assessment of vessel passage and associated collision loads has been prepared in order to define design criteria for the detailed design of the rehabilitation works. This has been undertaken with the cooperation and assistance of the Harbour Master’s Office of Wexford County Council. A review has been undertaken of various typologies of vessel collision protection system for bridge substructures, and it has been determined that the existing timber dolphin be removed and replaced with a protection constructed from steel tubular piles. Furthermore, it is proposed that the locking mechanism be made independent of the protection dolphin, so that any future collisions will not compromise its functionality. To achieve this, a separate dolphin structure is required inside of the footprint of the protection dolphin. This will consist of 4 No. raked steel tubular pile with a reinforced concrete pile-cap; on which the locking mechanism will be fixed. The design life considered for the dolphin structure, i.e., the piles and pile-cap, is proposed to be 100 years. Durability requirements over this time dictate the necessity to allow for corrosion loss in the piles a subsequent reduced section capacity throughout the lifetime of the structure. The reinforced concrete elements are to be designed for a marine environment and contain 50% GGBS cement replacement, as this increases durability of the concrete in a marine environment. Project Progression In order to progress the rehabilitation scheme, a number of third-party surveys are required to be undertaken, most notably a hydrodynamic flow survey and a geotechnical investigation. Third-party surveys for ecology are already underway. Given that the works are to be undertaken within a European Site River Barrow and River Nore SAC and adjacent to a number of other European Sites the project will almost certainly screen in for Appropriate Assessment. The project will also be subject to EIA Screening to determine if an EIAR is required. As the proposed works are to be undertaken on the foreshore, the planning route most likely to be adopted would be Section 226 of the Planning & Development Act (as amended) if undertaken in partnership with a Local Authority. Alternatively, Section 37 of the Transport (Railway Infrastructure) Act 2001 (as amended by the Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Act 2006) could be adopted which would require a Railway Order application. An Bord Pleanála would be the competent authority in either route. Legal advice will be sought to ensure the most appropriate planning route is adopted. Following the initial review of the Project, it would be very difficult at this stage to estimate an overall timeline for completing the recommended repair / replacement of the dolphin structure. There are several factors to consider in relation to this including;
- the need for ecological surveys – This is currently ongoing and should be completed early in 2023. However, it should be noted that the need for additional surveys may be identified throughout the design process and through engagement with prescribed bodies such as the NPWS and IFI.
- the need for a geological investigation to inform the design parameters for the new structure – Although the site is relatively self-contained, the ground investigation will require marine drilling and sampling within the SAC and may be subject to its own NIS. This may require the design to be staggered and co-ordinated with the planning process. Once approval is obtained to commence, it is estimated that the GI would take approximately 2 to 3 months.
- the planning route and the uncertainty surrounding the durations for consent to proceed – As described above the scheme is likely to involve a submission to An Bord Pleanála. It is not possible with any certainty to estimate how long this process would take but we would advise that a minimum period of six months be allowed for the design and preparation of the application documents for An Bord Pleanála with a further 6-9 months for the An Bord Pleanála decision. The detailed design process could be undertaken either in sequence or in parallel with this.
- potential seasonal or operational constraints associated with the construction stage – The works will require plant and machinery to be placed within the existing navigation channels for significant periods of time which may require a multi-phase approach to be adopted which would prolong the duration of the construction works but would facilitate the continuous passage of vessels. Overall, and based on the information available to hand and with the anticipated timeframes associated with the planning processes, an estimated design and construction project of 30 months from commencement is envisaged at this time. Currently, no funding is in place to carry out these works. The estimated cost for this programme is between €3-5m. Detailed design would be required to ascertain a more precise cost. This programme of remediation will allow the bridge to revert to its status before the collision. However, of concern is the mechanical systems that are currently in place to operate the bridge. These are extremely aged, do not comply with any modern standards and are near obsolete with for example spares increasingly difficult to source for the maintenance of the system. Decisions on the future use of the route will be addressed by the All-Island Strategic Rail Review. When this route is re-established, either to regular rail traffic or a greenway, it would be extremely prudent to upgrade the aged mechanical systems to modern, fit for purpose systems that would operate the bridge remotely. The current system is unreliable and near life expired. This ‘Phase 2’ could be commenced concurrently with the structural repairs phase of works however, as with the repairs, there is no funding in place at this time. The cost of Phase 2 replacement of the mechanical operating systems is currently unknown however IÉ are exploring this in conjunction with ROD. It is likely that this investment will be substantial, possibly between €5-10m, however the detailed analysis would be required to ascertain this more accurately. I can confirm that our claims department is actively pursuing a claim for damages from the insurers of the ship responsible for the collision.
