DfI commits to funding Strabane footbridge after costs rise to £10.4m

An Outline Business Case (OBC) for the new span over the Mourne remains in the final stages of preparation, Jonathan Saulters, director of major projects at the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) told the Stormont Infrastructure Committee.

It’s envisaged the project will completely transform Strabane town centre

A shortfall in excess of £4m will be made up from DfI’s active travel budget.

“The Derry City and Strabane city deal includes a project for Strabane town centre regeneration. The aim is to revitalise Strabane town centre — focusing on the historic canal basin — with a new healthcare hub campus for the North West Regional College and a leisure centre.

“An integrated part of that is improved connectivity between public transport, residential areas and town centre facilities through a new town centre footway and cycle bridge and associated active travel linkages,” Mr. Saulters told MLAs.

The committee was advised that extra money is being made available for the completion of the footbridge following cost-inflation.

A similar intervention was required for the Lagan pedestrian bridge in Belfast which has doubled in cost from £12.9 million to around £24.5 million.

“The OBC for the footbridge is in the final stages of preparation, and the estimated cost is about £10.4 million. As is the case with the Lagan pedestrian and cycle bridge shortfall, the £4.4 million funding shortfall for the footbridge is to be covered by the active travel budget through the Executive funding decision that was made in December 2023,” said Mr. Saulters.

Fresh details unveiled of radical plans to transform Derry city centre and riverfront