In Spring 2011, some engineering checks were done, in order to finalise the design, but in July, the project was scrapped, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport (Deputy Leo Varadkar) telling the Dáil on 5 July 2011:
Louth County Council submitted an economic appraisal and the completed Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed Narrow Water Bridge project to the National Roads Authority (NRA). These reports were reviewed by NRA on behalf of my Department and the NRA recently submitted their report with recommendations in relation to this project. I have examined this report and recommendations and based on the economic appraisal, the current financial circumstances, competing demands from other local authorities for strategic schemes which have a better benefit/cost ratio, this Department is not in a position to proceed any further with the Narrow Water Bridge project, and beyond 2011 no further funding will be made available for it.
However, in 2021 it was reported that €3m had been committed by the Irish Government to progress the scheme, with construction scheduled to commence in 2023[1]. In May 2024, it was reported that a construction contract had been awarded, with work planned to begin "within weeks" of the announcement.[2]