Busy Cork bridge to be surveyed after Japanese knotweed damage

A rural community in north-east Cork faces serious traffic disruption if an invasive plant, spreading throughout the county like wildfire, has caused structural damage to a road bridge.

County council engineers are to carry out a detailed structural assessment of the crossing over the River Bride at Bridesbridge/Castlelyons after being alerted to growths of Japanese knotweed underneath the bridge.

A meeting of the council’s Fermoy/Charleville municipal district was informed by county council senior executive engineer Brendan O’Gorman that his staff would survey the bridge and report back to councillors.