By Cliona Connolly

A HEATED meeting took place in Caledon, Co Tyrone on Tuesday night last where many locals voiced anger over the proposed €3.5 million project set to re-open the Knockaginney and Annaghroe bridges, the last two crossings between North and South to be re-opened.

Locals are concerned that this substantial sum of exchequer money will be wasted on what they believe to be roads going nowhere for the benefit of very few leading to unwanted and increased volumes of traffic in a now tranquil area.

One local who attended the meeting said “the majority of people were against the bridges being re-opened and had quite strong opinions on the matter.

“Several seemed to think the €3.5 million could be better spent on local needs such as Monaghan Hospital, especially since the Northern government is not providing any funding.”  

Monaghan County Council recently received approval from the Department of Transport to appoint the Engineering consultancy firm of Mott McDonald Pettit as Clients Representative on the Annaghroe/Knockaginney Cross Border Bridges Project.

This project consists of the replacement of the two previously demolished bridges over the River Blackwater at Annaghroe and Knocknaginney, Glaslough, County Monaghan.

The approach roads to the bridges will be resurfaced also. A grant of €900,000 had been allocated by the Department of Transport in respect of costs to be incurred in 2008 as part of the overall €3.5 million project.

The next meeting on the project will take place tonight, Thursday 13 March in the Oakland’s Recreation Centre, Glaslough from 6.30 until 8.30pm. All those interested in the project are asked to attend.