Irish Water, working in partnership with Mayo County Council, has commenced works in Charlestown as part of a €19 million investment in the Killala, Foxford and Charlestown Sewerage Scheme.
The project will involve an upgrade of the existing wastewater treatment plant to serve a population equivalent of 3,250; the installation of new sewers, upgrade of existing sewers and the installation of a new outfall to the Mullaghanoe River.
On Monday, works commenced in Charlestown to install the new sewer through the town along the N17 route. The works are being carried out by Glan Agua on behalf of Irish Water and are expected to take approximately eight weeks to complete. In order to minimise disruption to businesses and residents, the works will be carried out in five sections.
Colm Claffey of Irish Water commented: "The project team will need to assess the ground conditions by digging a number of trial pits in the area of the square in Charlestown. This work is expected to take approximately two days to complete. We will then commence construction of the new sewer from the railway line on the N17, adjacent to Cassidy Motors. From there, the works will progress through the town centre, crossing the square and along the N17 as far as the Garda Station."
Traffic management will be in place for the duration of the works. During the day a stop-go system will be operated by the contractor, with single lane traffic passing the works area.
During the night, traffic lights will be set up and the single lane traffic system will remain in place overnight. In order to minimise disruption the contractor will reinstate the road surface and move the traffic management system as each section of works is completed.
During the works, access to side streets will be maintained. On-street parking will not be available in the immediate area where the contractor is carrying out works however; parking will be available through the rest of the town.
The project team will continue to keep the local community and businesses updated as the works progress. As part of this project Glan Agua has appointed a Community Liaison Officer who will be responsible for communicating with all stakeholders in the local community and who will be available to address any queries or concerns in relation to the works.
