A document by an expert engineer on behalf of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation warned of the imminent danger of collapse of the Mughrabi Bridge, which leads to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
He said that the condition of the wood in the bridge will not allow for its safe use over time.
The expert added: "We must act without delay to replace the temporary bridge and replace it with a steel bridge that will avoid the need for ongoing maintenance and allow for proper protection against fire.".
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However, there is concern that replacing the bridge and rebuilding it will lead to renewed riots on the Temple Mount.
According to Yossi Eli's report on Channel 13, the engineer who conducted the inspection determined that "the wood in the bridge suffers from extreme dryness and has extensive longitudinal cracking. Despite past attempts to treat the wood and extend its lifespan, the treatment failed.".
The bridge, which was built 15 years ago to facilitate Jewish ascension to the Temple Mount complex, has not been used and no safety changes have been made.
This is not the first time that there has been an immediate danger to the integrity of the bridge that allows visitors and security forces to enter from the Western Wall area to the Temple Mount and is a bone of contention between Israel, the Palestinians, and Jordan.
In December 2011, the Jerusalem municipality engineer sent an immediate closure order to the bridge due to the same concern. "The structure poses an immediate danger to the occupants, the public and nearby properties, stemming, among other things, from the risk of fire and collapse," read a message sent to then-Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.
A new bridge built on the site was dismantled after two weeks, following pressure from the Jordanian royal family, which claimed that it was a violation of the status quo on the Temple Mount.
The wooden bridge has remained since then after the government decided to settle for renovation and reinforcement instead of building a new bridge.
