Irish Water begins work on major project in North Dublin

Irish Water has begun work on a major infrastructure project in North Dublin, the Ballycoolin trunk watermain.

The project involves the construction of an additional regional trunk watermain between Ballycoolin Reservoir and Swords that will help to safeguard the water supply to homes, businesses, hospitals and farms in North Dublin and the wider Greater Dublin Area (GDA).

The construction of the second regional trunk watermain recently commenced and is expected to take approximately two years to complete.

Roadbridge Limited are delivering this project on behalf of Irish Water and in accordance with current Government and HSE COVID-19 advice.

To facilitate the installation of the new trunk watermain it will be necessary to carry carry out works across a number of roads requiring traffic management and road closures.

The first road crossing is starting on Monday, 5 July.

A stop/go traffic management system will be in place on the L3125 from Kilshane Cross to St Margaret’s from Monday, 5 July to Saturday 10 July inclusive and again from Monday, 12 July to Wednesday, 12 July inclusive.

In order to minimise the impact of the works they will be delivered between 9:30am and 4pm.

A road closure will also be required on the R122, just North of St Margaret’s Village near the Junction with Kilreesk Lane. This will be carried out on Tuesday, 13 July and Wednesday, 14 July.

A further road closure will also be required on the Kilreesk Road, near the junction with Kilreesk Lane. This will be carried out on Thursday, 15 July and Friday, 16 July.

Local diversions will be in place during these road closures and emergency and local access will be maintained at all times.

The existing watermain between Ballycoolin Reservoir and Swords was built in the 1960s and supplies 60 million litres of water every day to homes and businesses in Swords; Portmarnock; Malahide; Balbriggan; Skerries; Rush; Donabate; Clonshaugh; Coolock and Darndale.

Ballycoolin Reservoir is an important strategic reservoir storing 100 million litres of treated drinking water that is produced at Leixlip Water Treatment plant, one of the Country’s largest water treatment plants.

The delivery of the second trunk watermain will build resilience in the water infrastructure and improve the security of supply for the GDA by providing the capacity to supply an additional 60 million litres of water supporting existing and future residential and commercial development.

Speaking about the Ballycoolin trunk watermain project, William McKnight, Irish Water said: “In order to safely deliver this project road closures are required and we acknowledge the inconvenience that this can cause.

“However, working with Fingal County Council and our contractors we will make every effort to minimise the impact.

“The delivery of this significant project will support existing and future residential and commercial development in the Greater Dublin Area and is one of a number of water projects being delivered in the GDA.”

He added, “This project will provide North Dublin with the infrastructure needed to support the building of houses and schools; to attract new industry and to allow companies to expand and grow.”