First phase of Mourne Wall Helicopter Drops Complete!
20 February 2018 12:01
The good weather on Saturday (17th February) enabled NI Water’s contractors working on the Mourne Wall Restoration Project to undertake the helicopter lifts which were postponed from late last year.
40 bags of capping stones, weighing just under a tonne each, were airlifted to Slieve Commedagh, Slieve Donard and Slieve Bearnagh at the weekend, adding to the 44 bags previously lifted onto Slieve Meelmore, Slieve Corragh and Slieve Commedagh in November 2017.
The capping stones – around 450 in total, all salvaged locally and weighing between 80 and 120kgs each - will enable the contractor to complete and fully stabilise sections of the Mourne Wall that has already been repaired.
To date, approximately 9km of wall on over half of the 15 peaks has been restored using the indigenous stone lying locally to the wall. This has included putting back into place more than 2,000 capping stones without mechanical intervention.
Restoration work has now moved to the lower sections of wall around Annalong Wood. NI Water anticipates these low altitude areas will be completed before the end of March, with future helicopter lifting for further capping stone work and erosion repair scheduled for early summer.
NI Water would like to thank our main contractor GEDA Construction, sub-contractor Thomas Rooney & Sons and the Mourne Heritage Trust for their assistance with coordinating these latest helicopter lifts and is grateful to landowners and the public for their patience and cooperation while this important restoration work is ongoing.
ENDS
For further information, please contact NI Water’s Press Office on 02890 354710 or email press.office@niwater.com