€114m landmark wastewater project in Athlone reaches major milestone
29 February 2024
Major upgrade to Athlone’s wastewater collection system will facilitate sustainable growth and development.
As Athlone, the bustling town in the heart of Ireland prepares for Spring, Uisce Éireann, working in partnership with Westmeath County Council, has in recent weeks, passed crucial milestones in the delivery of this essential wastewater scheme. Overall, we will be progressing with the installation of almost 3kms of new underground sewer pipes as part of the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme, which will take us one step closer to the ultimate goal of reducing the risk of sewer flooding in Athlone, whilst addressing non-compliant sewer overflows to the River Shannon.
Uisce Éireann alongside its delivery partner Ward & Burke Construction, is delighted to announce the successful completion of the first underground crossing of the mighty River Shannon. These tunnelling works which began in September 2023 in the Deerpark/Showgrounds area of Athlone were scheduled for completion in early 2024. The tunnel boring machine paved its way under the river, installing this critical pipeline and has now successfully arrived at Burgess Park.
The next phase of tunnelling works will commence this week from Burgess Park to Wolf Tone Terrace which will take approximately two months to complete. Following on from these works, tunnelling will commence from Golden Island to Paynes Lane with an estimated completion date of Summer 2024.
In preparation for the tunnel boring machine reaching Paynes Lane later this year, a receiving shaft has been successful constructed at this location. Therefore, Uisce Éireann is delighted to announce the full re-opening of Paynes Lane to traffic. Paynes Lane will again need to close for a short period of time in the Summer to accommodate tunnelling and connection works.
Preparation works to facilitate the underground tunnelling works will continue at several locations in Athlone, this includes the diversion of services in order to minimise the impact on the local community. These locations include: The Strand Car Park, Abbey Road and The Quay (back of Sean’s Bar). While these works are in progress, temporary traffic management measures which have been previously communicated, will continue to be in place. Works have also commenced at Coosan West pumping station and are expected to be completed by the end of Q3 2024, with the new asset coming on-line at the completion of the overall project.
Commenting on the importance of the successful completion of this phase of the project, Eunan Canavan, Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann, said: “We are delighted that this essential capital investment for the people of Athlone is making steady progress. Completion of the first tunnel under the River Shannon is a massive milestone. We look forward to moving on to the next phase of works over Spring and into the Summer months and are working hard to deliver this important project while limiting the impact on the local community."
“The pumping station construction at Golden Island is also progressing well with work now well underway to sink the walls of the shaft to the correct level, which is a huge 20 meters below ground level. We are on track to have the base and internal walls completed on target. It isn’t very visible to the local community how much progress we are making as so much of this construction work is underground but would like the people of Athlone to be informed of just how well the delivery is progressing.’’
Cathaoirleach of Westmeath County Council, Liam McDaniel added: “I am delighted to see the significant progress being made on this critical project in Athlone. Completion of the tunnelling under the River Shannon is an important milestone in the delivery of this project. The provision of adequate wastewater infrastructure, not only for our existing population but for our future growth, is vital so that we are ready to meet the opportunities of the coming years. I would like to thank Uisce Éireann and Westmeath County Council and commend them for their hard work, 24/7, to ensure the continuity of critical drinking water and wastewater services.”
Ward and Burke Construction Ltd is delivering the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme on behalf of Uisce Éireann Ltd and the scheme is expected to be completed in Q4 of 2025.
Uisce Éireann will continue to engage with the local community throughout the duration of the project. For more information on this project, visit our Dedicated Project page.
Additionally, please see the link below which illustrates the progress made to date and the planned work locations through Summer 2024.
Progress to date and planned work locations
Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. To find out more visit our website.