Work on Bandon riverbed finally begins

CONTRACTORS for Cork County Council moved into the river in Bandon to begin temporary cleaning of the riverbed.

Although the OPW were already on site to begin the major flood relief work on the river, the temporary work – which has been undertaken every year since 2009 – has also been given the go-ahead.

This will involve cleaning the riverbed, near the bridge, of gravel and sand build-up, which will alleviate a number of issues in the event of a moderate flood.

However, such cleaning will not have a huge impact on floodwaters if the town is subject to rainfall similar to last December’s downpours.

The deeper dredging of the area, which will be undertaken by the OPW over the next two years, will begin closer to Innishannon.

Cllr Kevin Murphy (FG) chairman of Bandon Kinsale Municipal District said he received confirmation from David Keane, county engineer that the cleaning would go ahead and he welcomed the development ‘David Keane, the county engineer, and his team, must be congratulated for getting all the ducks in a row to ensure this can be undertaken,’ added Cllr Alan Coleman.

 In a statement last Thursday, the Council said the works will include the removal of gravel and debris deposits to a depth of 300mm below the waterline. 

The work extends from 15m upstream to 25m downstream of the Bandon Bridge, and are to be finished by September 30th.