Cameras To Film Derry Bridge Construction

Work on the £13.4m Derry Peace Bridge has begun - but a unique twist has been added.

Cameras are being placed at Ebrington Barracks in the City, in an effort to record every stage of the construction.

Speaking at a launch to mark the turning of the sod at the former Ebrington Barracks site, the Chairman of urban regeneration company, Ilex, which is behind the project, revealed that upon completion, the footage will be used to create a film showing the entire process.

Sir Roy McNulty also confirmed that the company is planning to bury a time capsule beside the flagpole at Ebrington. He appealed to general public in Derry to suggest items that could be saved for posterity.

"To mark this important milestone Ministers are launching a process asking people to let us know what they think should be included in a time capsule to be placed in Ebrington to mark the completion of this iconic project and to represent the city's history, its people, and their aspirations for the future," he said.

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness also attended the launch.

"It is my sincere hope that the new bridge will be a catalyst for change and will help transform this city and the local community in the widest sense," said the Minister.

"It represents a real opportunity to improve relationships by transcending the physical divide of the river which, for so long, has been viewed as a boundary between the Waterside and the city side.

"It will bring Ebrington into shared, public use for the first time in almost 170 years. Most importantly, it will enable the local community to reclaim this prime riverside location for their own enjoyment."

The Peace Bridge has been funded by the European Union's PEACE III Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The programme's theme of Creating Shared Public Space aims to support large-scale infrastructure developments that will tackle problems of separated communities by creating "genuine new shared space or transforming contested space".

(NS/BMcC)