A once-crumbling 18th century sea defence structure has been repaired on the north coast, easing fears of a catastrophic collapse.
The Barmouth, which was built to allow vessels to access the River Bann from the sea at Castlerock, has seen the speedy completion of a £1.2m project to strengthen its stone and concrete support structures.
Known as ‘moles’, the structures were identified as degrading in recent years, with repairs last having been carried out in 1929.
The Barmouth as seen from above PICTURE: COLERAINE HARBOUR COMMISSION
Work was rubber-stamped last year by the Department for Infrastructure, after a stark warning from the Coleraine Harbour Commission that if the moles collapsed, the ensuing floods could wipe out square miles of land, including Portstewart and Castlerock Golf Club courses, as the river’s mouth would revert to a delta.
Both Portstewart Strand and Castlerock beaches would have been at risk in a collapse if the moles’ ability to hold back a daily eight-and-a-half million cubic meters of water was compromised.
This doomsday scenario was presented last year to Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, as the Harbour Commission described an “ecological and economic disaster” if repairs were not carried out.
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This week the infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins visited the Barmouth to view the completed works, and said that without her department’s intervention, “this could have resulted in impeded vessel access, increased erosion at key tourist beaches and elevated flood risks along the lower Bann”.
Harbour master Lisa McLaughlin, with infrastructure minister Liz Kimmins and Robert Skelly, chair of Coleraine Harbour Commissioners at the newly repaired Barmouth
“I am pleased that the works have been completed, which will help protect the surrounding environment and reduce the risk of tidal flooding for local communities, work which is also important for the development of the local economy and the future of Coleraine Harbour,” she said.
“I commend the Commissioners for taking forward this vital project as a matter of urgency and ensuring timely completion.”
Robert Skelly, who chairs the Harbour Commission and who outlined the potential for disaster at last year’s council presentation, welcomed the completion of the “significant and technically challenging marine engineering project”, saying its “successful completion on time and within budget is a credit to everyone involved”.