Regeneration work on a bridge in a Co Fermanagh village will bring new life to the town when it is finished next spring, a local development group has said.
Work on the £200,000 upgrade to the Kesh Bridge has now been paused for the winter but are due to be completed next year.
The footbridge was damaged by severe flooding in December 2015 and, since then, it has remained inaccessible to pedestrians.
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Work began on the six figure upgrade in August of this year, with the renovation being funded by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Department for Infrastructure.
Neville Armstrong from the Kesh Development Association said it will be a big boost to the village, which sees significant numbers of people coming in the summer months from nearby caravan parks.
“The bridge sets on the Kesh River and it’s a main artery in summer months into Kesh village,” Neville told MyFermanagh.
“Those people that come into Kesh village then spend their money and are very important to the economy of the village.
“It’s a hive of activity and we even get a lot of international people coming through as well.
“We’re looking forward to getting back to that again, and the reopening of the footbridge will mean it’s a lot safer for people to walk over.”
The works being carried out at the bridge include repairs to the river channel retaining wall and replacement of a section of masonry wall with a river channel retaining wall along the southern river bank.
“At present the bridge is very old and narrow and can be a bit unsafe if you were to meet a couple of large vehicles on it,” Neville added.
“The businesses that are down by the marina will benefit from it as well. It looks like it’s coming along well and we’re looking forward to seeing the finished product.”
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