The severe weather event that caused widespread destruction across the Inishowen Peninsula in late August failed to derail Cockhill Road Bridge's progress towards completion.
The bridge, designed by Roughan & O'Donovan, spanned over the floodwaters, which had risen to just below the newly installed bridge beams. The rock armour scour protection meanwhile did its job by protecting the bridge foundations.
In designing Cockhill Road Bridge, Roughan & O'Donovan drew heavily on 2 of its previous bridge designs - the award-winning Killarney Road Bridge in Bray and Structure B06 on the Limerick Southern Ring Road.
Cockhill Road Bridge resembles the Killarney Road Bridge in that the curve in the underside of the parapet edge beam gives the bridge an arched appearance despite it being a simple pre-cast beam bridge.
And, as a 39.5m long single span bridge with deep beams and an arched profile, it is also reminiscent of Structure B06.
With the new bridge now complete, the site has been handed over to Donegal County Council, who will construct the approach roads to form a bypass of the poorly aligned section of the existing R238.
