Repairs to damaged Cork City quay wall to finally begin in August
Wall In The Dan The Quay Gate Cork South Picture: Bridge Linehan At
Repairs are finally set to get underway on a badly damaged section of a historic quay wall in Cork's city centre.
More than a year after the collapse, Cork City Council has confirmed that it has agreed, with the landowner involved, on a schedule of repairs to the damaged quay wall close to the historic South Gate Bridge on the southern channel of the river Lee.
“A schedule of works has been agreed with works due to commence in mid-August with the repairs expected to take approximately nine weeks. The entire cost of the works are being borne by the landowner,” the council said.
Confirmation that repairs are finally set to begin comes 17 months after the first serious collapse, and just ahead of the first anniversary of the second collapse.
There has been a gaping hole in the quay wall since the first incident in February 2022 forced the temporary closure of the bridge and footpaths.
Council engineering and operations staff inspected the damage and said they were satisfied that there was no immediate risk to the structural integrity of the bridge and no immediate risk to public safety.
But fears were raised just months later when a second collapse occurred in the same area in August, leading to the closure of a section of the privately-owned car park above the damaged area.
City councillors put pressure on City Hall to carry out immediate repairs but by last September, city officials were telling councillors that it was their view that the repairs were the responsibility of the landowner.
The situation dragged on and the damage worsened but officials said they were still engaging with the landowner with a view to securing repairs.
But councillors were also told that securing repairs would be a “complicated process” given the site’s location on the river, the history of the area and that a “complex methodology” for the repairs would have to be agreed upon, and there was still no timeline for the delivery of repairs.
It later emerged that a notice was served on the landowner under Section 8(2) of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, which included a schedule of works that the council required to repair the quay wall.
And it is that schedule of works which has now been agreed by both sides, and which get underway within a matter of weeks.