Tipperary County Council has been blamed for delays in progressing works at Ardfinnan Bridge.
The ongoing saga has been raised in the Dáil this week by Deputy Mattie McGrath.
The crossing of the River Suir has been operating as a traffic-light controlled one-way system since 2015.
Last month the National Transport Authority confirmed it had removed the bridge from the list of projects for their Active Travel Programme allocations for 2023.
This decision was reversed in recent days with funding of €280,000 confirmed for the County Council to move it on to the next stage of preliminary design.
Deputy McGrath is adamant that Tipperary County Council wants the bridge to remain a one-way system.
“There’s no understanding at all as to why it’s left there. The people of Ardfinnan through the Community Council – I want to salute them – massive submissions were put in to An Bord Pleanala by people from Clogheen, Araglen, Ballyporeen, Grange, everywhere and Bord Pleanala decided in their wisdom that it shouldn’t be one way, that it should be two way traffic. But the Council have been obstinate and stubborn, refused to accept what An Bord Pleanala wanted. I lay the blame totally with the County Council.”
Deputy McGrath also raised questions with Minister of State at the Department of Transport Jack Chambers as to how much has been spent on consultants in relation to Ardfinnan Bridge.
“I’ve already asked to know how much has been spent on this bridge – we’d nearly build a new bridge.
“People won’t give up. They’re very angry and very disappointed at the amount of money that’s been spent here on consultants. And then when we get an independent consultants report that the NTA – at someone’s instruction – could just dump it out of the plan completely, out of the programme. That’s blackguarding of the highest order.
“I describe it as a ‘troubled bridge over tranquil water’ – that’s what it is because it’s just downright blackguarding to leave it for that length of time and now we’re looking at a further maybe 15 months or 18 months of a delay again.”
