'Give my head peace'
A row has broken out over the construction of Derry's new peace bridge.
Residents living close to the construction site say they are being driven to distraction by the constant thudding caused by drilling into the river.
And they claim contractors have broken promises not to carry out work in the evenings or weekends.
Alfred Street resident Frank O'Neil told the 'Journal' no one in the area was opposed to the building of the bridge.
"But we are disappointed promises made to local people have not been kept," he said. "We were assured the work would only be carried out between 9am and 5pm on weekdays and not at all during the weekend. This has not been the case."
Mr O'Neil said work began last Saturday at 7am. He said this was not the first time work has been carried out outside the hours promised to residents. Mr O'Neil added that residents have also been told to expect the noise to intensify over the coming months.
Fellow resident Phena McShane said, at times, the noise was unbearable.
"They are doing exactly the opposite of what they said they would do. On Saturday morning the noise was unbearable, the worst yet. In the evening the constant thud is awful."
She said she was aware residents on the opposite side of the Foyle, living in flats along the quayside, were also finding it difficult to deal with the construction noise.
But Mo Durkan, spokeswoman for Derry's urban regeneration company Ilex, says the city council's Environmental Health Department is monitoring the work on the site and have not raised concerns.
"We have had some difficulties in the past trying to engage with residents of Alfred Street but are happy to talk with anyone in the area who has concerns. The agreed hours of work - 7am to 7pm - have not been an issue. Work stated on Saturday at 8am.
"Environmental Health are monitoring the time of work, the vibration and the noise levels and as far as we are concerned there is not a problem at present.
"There is, however, a timing issue on the work that is currently being done in that it has to be completed before the end of March and the start of the salmon season."
The bridge, spanning from the Ebrington barracks site in the Waterside to the Guildhall Square and funded by the EU, is set to be completed in October.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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