€450k to take the shake out of the Shakey Bridge

CORK’S iconic Shakey Bridge is to undergo major refurbishment to stop it shaking and to repair extensive corrosion and damage.

Cork City Council is seeking a contractor to oversee the estimated €450,000 project.

A report on the bridge’s condition uncovered significant damage due to corrosion noting that some strands in the suspension cable were broken, caused by pedestrians shaking the bridge. The inspection was carried out in December 2016 and the report recommended that repair work be carried out within a year.

Short-term works have rendered the bridge secure, though engineers are recommending a long-term solution now be undertaken.

The report recommends large crowds due to events such as marathons be banned from using the bridge.

During their inspection, engineers said they observed several instances of pedestrians and groups jumping together to deliberately shake the bridge, exacerbating damage to the suspension cables.

The report recommends the installation of anchored stays to the suspension cables in order to dampen movement.

After this, it recommends enclosing the bridge in a protective layer before blast cleaning all paintwork, repairing the latticeworks and new protective paintwork for the entire bridge including the suspension cables.

“Based on observations during the Principal Inspection of Daly’s bridge, the overall structure is assigned a condition rating of 3, i.e. significant damage with repair needed very soon (within next financial year),” the report states.

“This is primarily due to corrosion/section loss to the latticed trusses, inadequate hanger to transverse beam connections and fatigue damage to the suspension cables.”

Officially called Daly’s Bridge, the structure was built in 1926 and is Cork’s only suspension bridge. It was named after businessman John Daly who contributed to its cost.