Conservation work planned on historic Moate footbridge

Westmeath County Council is seeking to appoint a contractor to carry out conservation repair works to the historic railway footbridge in Moate.

The works include the repair or replacement of ironwork elements of the bridge; stairs, columns, central supporting pillars, balustrades and the complete renewal of the main deck and half landings with steel gratings as well as priming and repainting of all elements.

The contract is expected to extend for 14 months, with an estimated value of €280,000 excluding VAT.

The Midlands and Great Western Rail line between Mullingar and Galway was completed in 1851, with Moate one of the stations.

The single span footbridge crosses the railway line approximately 20m to the east of the station house. It spans some 10.4 metres and is formed from eight bays of rivetted iron plate guardings, supported and capped by T-beams.

A conservation report prepared for Westmeath County Council in 2024 noted that it is likely that much of the corrosion evident has occurred since the station was taken out of service in the late 1980s.

The report found that since the footbridge was cleaned down and repainted in advance of the re-opening of the station along the Old Rail Trail greenway, corrosion has continued to the extent that it is now seen in vulnerable connections.

Earlier this year, Westmeath County Council was allocated €125,510.63 for works on the footbridge from the Historic Structures Fund.