Killorglin bridge showing signs of wear and tear

A team from Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) is conducting an assessment, amid fears of subsidence around the imposing Laune Bridge on the main Ring of Kerry.

Concerns about the limestone bridge in Killorglin were raised at meetings of Kerry County Council.

The eight-arch 123m road bridge is the main access to South Kerry.

Concerns have also been raised about more than 3,000 bridges in the top tourist county, many dating to the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Killorglin bridge, on the N72 national secondary routes, dates to 1885, having replaced a wooden bridge overcome by high spring tides.

It is one of 220 bridges on the national road network in Kerry.

It carries a large amount of traffic including tourist buses and other heavy goods vehicles.

However, Councillor Michael Cahill said it was “showing signs of wear”.

“This bridge is absolutely critical to South Kerry and is the gateway to the Iveragh Peninsula. It is vital bridge structure is maintained and its lifespan prolonged.”

He called for an examination of all bridges in the county saying they had been weakened as the result of regular floods.

TII bridge management are inspecting the bridge currently and will compare it with previous surveys of the parapet levels to establish if there had been “movement”.

A funding application will be made if rehabilitation works are required, a spokesman for the county council said.

There are 220 bridges on the national routes and are in the charge of TII’s special Eirspan bridge unit.

A TII spokesman said Kerry along with Donegal had been identified as having a large number of bridges in need of assessment.