River Lagan footbridge open again following extensive repairs
This River Lagan footbridge had been in place for many years and needed to be almost wholly replaced due to structural instability. Paul McAlister Architects were the designers for the new foot bridge for our client Belfast City Council. The structural design and combination of the architectural aesthetics provides an elegant new foot bridge for the busy Lagan river towpath. The bridge is located not far from the Lock Keeper’s Inn coffee shop within the Lagan Valley Regional Park in Belfast. The design concept was to use timber as a sustainable material throughout the new structure and the timber detailing is a reflection of the traditional footbridge and the wish to design with sustainable materials.
The completed replacement pedestrian bridge at Lagan Meadows in south Belfast. Picture by Mal McCann
Pedestrians and cyclists are once again able to access a footbridge over Belfast's River Lagan after it was re-opened on Thursday. It comes after extensive repairs were carried out on Brown Bridge on the Lagan Towpath over the past number of months. The route had been closed by Belfast City Council since the start of December after it had been deemed unsafe. Repair work got underway in July on the bridge, which allows walkers to access the popular Lagan Meadows area. During its closure period, walkers and cyclists had to follow diversions in the area. But in a post on social media on Thursday, the council said: "The pedestrian bridge on Lagan Towpath known as Brown Bridge has reopened and we think it is looking great.
"All the timber on the bridge had to be replaced after it had become unsafe."We'd love to see your pics if you're checking it out over the next few days." SDLP MP Claire Hanna had previously criticised the time taken over the re-opening of the bridge, which had also included delays due to the lack of clarity around who owned the structure.
She told the Irish News in July that "the point is that we need to get more people off the roads and out of their cars and start using pedestrian and cycle routes more".
