The only bridge in Jerusalem providing access to the Temple Mount for non-Muslims has serious structural flaws and must be dismantled, Jerusalem municipal engineer Shlomo Eshkol said this week. The temporary bridge to the Mughrabi Gate poses a significant threat to the public and is also highly flammable, Eshkol said. A professional architect as well as the city's engineer. Eshkol said a number of professionals in his field agreed with his assessment. In order to prevent a catastrophe, Eshkol has rallied the Western Wall Heritage Foundation to dismantle the temporary bridge within a month and rebuild it using non-flammable materials. Because the bridge is so close to the Temple Mount, one of the most contested and highly sensitive religious sites in the world, its destruction has the potential to become an explosive political and security issue. For this reason, the Jerusalem municipality has alerted Government Secretary Zvi Hauser of the potential dangers and updated him about the city engineer's recommendations. In 2004, the eastern wall of the Temple Mount was damaged by an earthquake, which threatened to topple parts of the wall. A few days later, the retaining wall supporting the former Mughrabi bridge -- an earthen ramp -- from the Western Wall Plaza up to the Mughrabi Gate collapsed. In 2007, the Israeli Antiquities Authority began work on a temporary structure for the Mughrabi bridge, this time a wooden pedestrian walkway. The construction sparked condemnation from Arab leaders, and the pathway remains a point of contention between Israelis and Palestinians. A representative from the Jerusalem Municipality said on Tuesday that the existing Mughrabi bridge had been built with a temporary permit only. "The temporary bridge was not intended to provide a permanent solution and it is appropriate neither for security nor for citizens' needs, the representative said. In addition, it is likely to be a threat due to its poor physical condition. We must stop using it and destroy it. In accordance with the Western Wall Heritage Foundation's request, we will grant permission to begin construction of a new walkway in May, based on the original plan that served those going up to the Temple Mount for dozens of years, following the full statutory process. Once we issue a permit for a permanent bridge, we will work to build a new bridge and discontinue use of the temporary bridge."
Bridge to Mughrabi Gate is a public hazard, says city engineer
Jerusalem municipal engineer Shlomo Eshkol calls for the destruction of the only bridge providing non-Muslims access to the Temple Mount, cites structural problems • Bridge has long been a point of contention between Israelis and Palestinians.
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