Foyle Street Car Park to facilitate major upgrade work by NI Water
01 May 2024 15:13
NI Water has this week been granted a licence for the temporary use of Foyle Street Car Park to support a major water and wastewater network upgrade which is due to get underway this summer.
With the licence and other agreements now in place, NI Water has been able to appoint a contractor who will mobilise to the car park in the coming days to begin reconfiguration of the area into a temporary bus facility. This will ensure that bus movements are maintained while the planned NI Water works take place on Foyle Street between July 2024 and July 2025. Bus services will operate from their normal locations while the car park is being adapted.
The car park will be closed for up to 18 months overall to facilitate set up, operation and dismantling of the temporary bus stands and subsequent reinstatement of the parking area. Foyle Street Bus Station will remain open during this time.
The existing combined wastewater system on Foyle Street is over 100 years old and requires regular maintenance including extensive de-silting.
The NI Water scheme to upgrade the network revolves around the separation of the combined storm (rainwater) and foul (wastewater) system on Foyle Street between Shipquay Place and Water Street to help alleviate odour issues in the area and assist localised development in the short-term. Once the new wastewater pipes have been laid, connections will be carried out at each of the properties along the upgraded network.
To prevent future disruption in this part of Foyle Street by NI Water, we plan to replace the existing watermain – which dates back to a similar period – during the wastewater upgrade. This will result in this area of Foyle Street benefitting from a modern water and wastewater network.
With three new pipelines to be installed and over 50 connections to be undertaken, our contractor will need to close Foyle Street to through traffic during the work. The project is complex and will be carried out in phases to help minimise disruption. Designated delivery drop-off points and taxi ranks will be available, while footpaths will be open and pedestrian access available at all times. NI Water and our project team have been liaising with businesses in the area to develop logistics plans and we will have a dedicated delivery supervisor and liaison officer in place throughout the work.
As with any project of this nature, NI Water has been working closely with a number of stakeholders, including Translink, to plan the work as sensitively as possible.
The reconfiguration of Foyle Street Car Park to house temporary bus stands is fundamental to maintaining bus services and is the first phase of work that will be undertaken as part of the wider NI Water scheme.
NI Water will hold an open information event for members of the public in advance of the main work getting underway on Foyle Street.
Details of traffic management required to facilitate any of the enabling works for the project will be communicated once approved.
NI Water would like to thank all the stakeholders who have worked with the project team over the past year to help develop proposals and put the required agreements in place to progress
this much-needed scheme. We will continue to work closely with the business community on Foyle Street and endeavour to deliver a modern water and wastewater system in a sensitive and timely way.
Ends
For further information, please email press.office@niwater.com
Summary of key dates (any changes due to progress will be communicated):
End April: Council closure of Foyle Street Car Park
May-July 24: Enabling works in car park to create temporary bus facility
Normal bus operations during this time
End July 24: Closure of Foyle Street and commencement of NI Water upgrade
Operation of new temporary bus facility as well as existing bus station
End July 25: Completion of NI Water upgrade
Reopen Foyle Street
Bus services revert to normal operations
Aug-Sept 25: Reinstatement of Foyle Street Car Park