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First sections of Narrow Water Bridge arrive at Warrenpoint Harbour by barge

21 October 2026 in Community

Barge carrying the Narrow Water Bridge pylon and deck section on Carlingford Lough, with a tug alongside and the Mourne Mountains behind

The first major sections of the new Narrow Water Bridge arrived at Warrenpoint Harbour on Tuesday 20th October, carried by barge from Belgium.

The barge Caroline, towed by the tug Multratug 29, left Belgium on 15th October with two of the bridge’s three main steel components on board: an 82-metre deck section weighing around 690 tonnes and the 114-metre pylon, weighing around 866 tonnes. The route took the barge through the Dutch canals and across the North Sea before it came up Carlingford Lough and the Newry River.

A second barge, the Karel Victor, left Belgium on 18th October with the remaining 59-metre section of the fixed span. It is expected to arrive within about a week, depending on the weather.

Work on site has been building towards this point for months. A 1,500-tonne crane is being put together on the southern bank, its parts having come through Warrenpoint Harbour last week in around 70 lorry loads. Temporary supports and skid tracks have been installed in the river so the sections can be moved off the barges when the tide and weather allow. Lifting the fixed span into place is expected to take eight to twelve weeks.

When finished, the 195-metre cable-stayed bridge will link Narrow Water, just outside Warrenpoint, with Cornamucklagh near Omeath, joining the Mournes and the Cooley peninsula for cars, cyclists and walkers. The shorter northern span will include a lifting section so that boats can continue to use the Newry River. That section is being built separately and is due on site in October 2027.

Main construction is due to finish towards the end of 2027, with the bridge scheduled to open in early 2028. The project is funded through the Irish Government’s Shared Island programme.