Massive funding allocation for 'essential' new bridge in Kildare welcomed

€20 million in funding was recently announced for a new bridge in Newbridge

By Ciarán Mather Published 17th Jun 2026, 12:30 BST 'An absolute game changer': Massive funding allocation for 'essential' new bridge in Kildare welcomed | FILE PHOTOGRAPH / PIXABAY €20 million in funding was recently announced for a new bridge in Newbridge Sign up to our Kildare Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Kildare Live within your account.

A massive funding allocation for an 'essential' new bridge in County Kildare has been welcomed by a number of local representatives.

The positive reactions follow after €20 million in funding was recently announced for a new bridge in Newbridge.

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The funding was allocated by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, James Browne TD (Fianna Fáil), who granted it to Kildare County Council (KCC).

One local councillor who welcomed the announcement was Fianna Fáil Cllr Noel Heavey, who also serves as the Mayor of the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District.

He told the Leinster Leader: “The second bridge for Newbridge has been on KCC’s agenda long before I was elected councillor.

“The development pressures on Newbridge have been immense, and the expected announcement of €20million being ring-fenced by Minister Browne for the completion of this development is most welcome.”

Mayor Heavey added: “My earnest hope is that all stakeholders and statutory bodies will now push on to deliver the bridge and the road necessary to complete the Newbridge Southern Relief Road within the next two years.”

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She elaborated: “We now need to move forward to get towards a completion schedule, but it certainly will make a significant difference towards our traffic management.

“We will still need to complete the connectivity section towards the motorway,” Cllr O’Dwyer added.

Her party colleague, Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer, also welcomed the news: “This is an absolute game changer for Newbridge; for years, the town has endured severe traffic gridlock, and locals have rightfully demanded a real, structural solution.

“In particular, I want to highlight the vital work done during the recent Newbridge Settlement Plan and one of the motions I brought forward was to ensure that further development at this location had to be delivered in tandem with delivery of the New Southern Relief Road; formal motions like these were critical in firmly anchoring this infrastructure into the county's official statutory framework.”

She concluded: “By consistently raising these objectives at Council level, we ensured the plans remained shovel-ready and robust enough to secure this massive national investment.”

Another local rep who welcomed the announcement was Social Democrats Cllr Chris Pender, who said: “People have been hearing about the second bridge for decades, so confirmation that €20m has now been allocated for its construction is very welcome.

“I have repeatedly raised the need for confirmed funding and a clear route towards delivery through motions and questions at council level.

“I have also sought clarity on whether KCC was prepared to progress the project without continuing to rely on a private developer.”

He continued: “This allocation gives KCC the funding certainty needed to move the bridge towards construction.

“It is also significant that the money is coming through the Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund (HIIF), as the bridge is essential to supporting planned housing development in Newbridge.”

However, Cllr Pender emphasised that it is important to ‘be clear’ about where the project currently stands: “The immediate priority must be to appoint the engineering consultant, complete that work as quickly as possible and establish a firm timetable for the construction tender and the commencement of works.”

“This is a very positive announcement, but people in Newbridge have waited long enough,” Cllr Pender added.

He concluded by asserting that he will ‘continue to seek regular updates and press for the project, in order to move through each remaining stage without further unnecessary delay’.

Lastly, Fianna Fáil Cllr Rob Power welcomed the overall HIIF allocations.

He noted that the HIIF, which is worth a total of €862m, is associated with 82 different projects.

“This figure is indicative given the delivery stage of projects,” Cllr Power explained. “The estimated cost for each project is categorised into three separate bands: less than €10m, €10m to €20m and more than €20m, giving a general indication of cost range associated with each project.”

He added: “The Newbridge project is in the ‘more than €20m’ band, so it [the funding] is likely [going to be] more.”

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Related topics: Cllr Noel Heavey Cllr Peggy O’Dwyer Cllr Tracey O’Dwyer Cllr Robert Power Cllr Chris Pender Kildare Kildare County Council Sign up to our Kildare Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Kildare Live within your account.