A bridge... not far enough
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STREAMS that change course and moving bridges are conspiring to make a gentle walk on Ventry beach into something more adventurous at times.
To facilitate walkers, the Ventry Tidy Towns committee, in association with the local authority, installed footbridges over streams that flow across the strand
Unfortunately, some of the streams have changed course and flow around, rather than under, the bridges. On top of that the bridges have been moved by rough weather during high tides. The end result is that walkers are getting their feet wet and they're not happy.
The first bridge that walkers meet when they head west from the main carpark is covered by the tide at certain times of the day, according to local resident Geraldine Keogh.
"The course of the river has changed since the bridge was put in and the bridge is now in the middle of the sea which makes crossing impossible, especially for older people. I have contacted councillors and others about this but nothing has been done. The bridge, which is a great facility, needs to be moved further upstream so that it can be used at all tides," she said.
Another local resident told of arriving at the stream to find that the bridge seemed to have disappeared. "I could just make out the handrails on the surface of the water, the rest was completely submerged," he said.
Jim Long of the Tidy Towns committee said that the footbridge has had to be moved a number of times since it was first installed. "It was built in such a way that it can be relocated by a JCB and that will be done when the opportunity presents itself," he said.
