Cost of pedestrian bridge linking bus and railway stations in Killarney could reach as much as €5million
A proposed pedestrian bridge over a railway line to link the bus and railway stations in Killarney, Co Kerry, could cost up to €5 million to build, the
National Transport Authority
(NTA) has said.
This is about double a price estimate which was drawn up in 2019.
The NTA said that given the estimated costs, other competing projects elsewhere and limited funding, the proposed bridge would not be going ahead at present.
The tourist town's bus station adjoins the railway line, but is on the opposite side of the tracks to the main railway platform.
READ MORE
To get to the railway station from the bus passengers must walk through the adjacent Killarney Outlet Mall – a distance of about 350 metres – or take a public footpath for about 400 metres.
The NTA estimates that walking from the bus station to the railway platform takes between five-and-a-half and 10 minutes, depending on the age of the passenger and whether they are carrying luggage.
For years there has been a proposal to link the two buildings directly.
Details of the estimated costs of the proposed Killarney bridge were set out by the NTA in a reply to a parliamentary question tabled by
Fianna Fáil
TD Michael Cahill.
The reply has been released as part of the NTA's quarterly publication of answers to parliamentary questions referred to it by the
Department of Transport
.
The NTA said in 2019 a review carried out by
Irish Rail
had identified a new pedestrian bridge spanning the two train tracks as the preferred technical solution.
The project would involve a footbridge and a lift and steps on each side.
The NTA said the bridge would reduce the walking time between the bus and railway stations to about two or three minutes.
'However, there is a significant cost attached to this proposal, which was very approximately estimated as being between €1.5 million and €2 million in 2019,' it said.
'Given construction inflation in the intervening period, and cost out-turns on similar-type projects, a cost range of between €3 million and €5 million in current values is considered more prudent.'
It said that given the necessity to address the acute accessibility problems at other railway and bus stations as well as the estimated cost of the project and the limited funding available, the Killarney pedestrian bridge was regarded as 'a low-priority investment' and was not being progressed.
However, the NTA said it was funding a local transport plan being drawn up by Kerry County Council and this could look again the proposed link or examine other options.
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