Mary Elmes Bridge Reopens Following Swift Repairs After Joyriding Incident
Mary Elmes Bridge reopens tonight after joyriding damage. Seating area and one handrail remain closed. Permanent repairs to take several weeks.
Cork City Council has reopened the Mary Elmes pedestrian and cycle bridge this evening following temporary repairs to damage caused when a scissors lift was driven onto the structure during a joyriding incident on Sunday night.
The busy city centre bridge, which connects St Patrick's Quay to Merchant's Quay and is used by several thousand people daily, had been closed since Sunday in the interests of public safety after sustaining significant structural damage.
The incident on 2 November saw wooden decking panels on the upriver side of the bridge cracked when the machine was driven onto the structure. A metal handrail on the St Patrick's Quay side was also damaged, whilst metal decking panels fell into the River Lee, leaving a gaping hole in the bridge floor.
Representatives from the bridge manufacturers attended the site on Tuesday alongside city council engineers to conduct a full assessment of the damage and consider repair options.
Cork City Council engineers have now replaced the damaged sections with timber panels as a temporary measure to facilitate the reopening. However, the seating area on the bridge will remain closed, and the pedestrian handrail on the St Patrick's Quay side will stay cordoned off until permanent repairs are completed.
It could be several weeks before the work is finished due to the requirement to fabricate bespoke replacement decking panels. The city council will bear the costs of the repair work, though the full amount has not yet been finalised.
A spokesperson for Cork City Council said:
"Our team has been working hard to get the bridge reopened as soon as possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding that safety is paramount and like you we look forward to having the Mary Elmes Bridge back to its former condition at the earliest opportunity."
The spokesperson apologised for the inconvenience caused by the temporary closure over recent days.
The Mary Elmes Bridge, officially opened in September 2019, serves as an important sustainable transport link between the city centre and the MacCurtain Street area.
