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Bandon ready for upgrade to water mains

October 17th, 2018 7:05 AM

By Kieran O'Mahony

Martin Tierney, consultant engineer, chats with Bandon trader Con Linehan of Linehan's Menswear at the open evening on Bandon's main drainage scheme at the Town Hall. (Photo: Denis Boyle)

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Bandon braces itself for the commencement of the €14m upgrade of its water mains and sewer network in the coming weeks

AS Bandon braces itself for the commencement of the €14m upgrade of its water mains and sewer network in the coming weeks, business owners on South Main St breathed a sigh of relief  when they were informed by Irish Water that the street will not be affected by the planned works. 

However, traffic disruption will happen throughout the two-year project and North Main St in particular will be closed all next summer to facilitate works.

Speaking to The Southern Star at the recent public information evening on the project at Bandon Town Hall, Emma Murphy of Ward & Burke Construction, who were awarded the contract for the project, said there will be a dedicated communication liaison officer employed throughout the project and that the work will be carried out in phases.

‘Following Irish Water protocol, there will be notifications and alerts of all the works coming up in the area. There will also be weekly updates to all stakeholders,’ said Ms Murphy.

‘Traffic disruption is going to be part of the work, and we will alleviate where we can, but due to the size and complexity of the work, with large machinery and big pipes being laid, there will be road closures in sections. But again, notifications will be made in conjunction with the gardaí and other emergency services.’

The project will replace ageing water mains, which have a high burst frequency and a high rate of leakage, while also improving water quality and security of supply for the people of Bandon. Irish Water are also progressing a further €14m investment in the upgrade of the Bandon Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Councillors welcomed the commencement of these works at a recent meeting of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District.

Cllr Alan Coleman (Ind) said that according to Irish Water staff in attendance at the recent information meeting, it was one of the biggest turnouts they have had for such an event, and that there was a huge response from the public. 

‘Most people were very pleasantly surprised to hear that South Main Street won’t be directly affected by the works and the programme seems to be pretty sensible in that North Main Street will be closed during the school holidays in July and August of next year,’ said Cllr Coleman.

‘It will be very challenging and I would expect more detailed reports before then on how it’s going to be managed.’

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