Derry bridge wiped out in 2017 flood still not replaced

The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots said Forest Service was working on replacing the footbridge at Muff Glen in Eglinton.

Mr. Poots revealed the banks of the Muff River where the bridge once stood had been severely undercut in the deluge of August 2017 so a like-for-like swap was not possible.

He made the revelations in response to an Assembly Question from Foyle MLA Mark H. Durkan.

“I am advised that the extreme flooding event in the North-West in 2017, which washed away the footbridge, also caused extensive undercutting of the river banks on both sides where the bridge was located.

“Consequently, a direct replacement is unlikely to be a practical solution.

“Forest Service is seeking to develop, through a joint working partnership with Derry City and Strabane District Council, an overall proposal for a sustainable recreational product at Muff Glen forest which would include consideration of a replacement footbridge,” said the Minister.

The old bridge formed part of a popular forest walk or loop along the banks of the Muff river from which the first settlement in the Eglinton area derived its original name.