Night-time sewer improvements planned along Foyle Embankment and Victoria Road areas of Derry City

18 September 2024 14:04

NI Water will commence two sewer upgrade projects next week in Derry City to strengthen parts of the network and help reduce the risk of out-of-sewer flooding.

The work, which will deliver improvements to the Culmore Trunk Sewer along the Foyle Embankment as well as the Prehen Wastewater Pumping Main at Victoria Road, will be undertaken at night in a bid to minimise disruption.

Speaking about the Culmore Trunk Sewer work, NI Water Senior Project Manager, Robert McLean said: “A section of the Culmore Trunk Sewer along the Foyle Embankment - between the multi-storey car park and Whittaker Street - will be relined to increase its robustness. In a bid to minimise the impact of these works on road users, the sewer relining will be carried out at night from existing manholes.

“Work is due to get underway on Foyle Embankment, adjacent to the multi-storey car park, on Monday 23^rd September and will progress towards the Whittaker Street junction over a period of approximately 4 weeks. To facilitate the work, a lane closure will be in place around the working area on Foyle Embankment each night between 7pm and 7am. Buses entering and exiting the temporary bus station at Foyle Street (off the embankment) will not be affected by these works and we don’t envisage any impact to upcoming events.

“Towards the end of September, additional night-time traffic management will be required on Water Street to facilitate works on that section. Water Street will be closed to traffic from Foyle Embankment but will remain open to traffic exiting onto the embankment. Signage will be in place for all sections of the work and GRAHAM will make every effort to complete each section in the shortest timescale possible. The entire programme of relining works will be completed by Friday 25^th October.”

Speaking about the night-time work planned for Victoria Road, Paul Hamilton, NI Water’s Project Manager for that upgrade, commented: “The last section of Prehen Wastewater Pumping Main - between the end of the embankment (across from Victoria Park) and Duke Street Wastewater Pumping Station – is scheduled to be replaced from Monday 23^rd September. The new pipeline, which will provide enhanced environmental protection in the area, will be installed adjacent to Victoria Road by tunnelling. To kickstart the tunnelling process, two large pits will need to be dug off Victoria Road and, in a bid to reduce the impact to road users, the tunnelling pits will be excavated at night.

“To facilitate this work safely, a lane closure will be implemented on Victoria Road between 7pm and 6am. The tunnelling works will be undertaken during the day with Victoria Road fully open, however the footpath alongside the working area will need to be closed for safety reasons.

“Once the work adjacent to Victoria Road has been completed, the pipeline will make its way down Victoria Road Link and onto Duke Street. For these sections, scheduled for October/November, a continuous road closure will be required on Victoria Road Link

and a night-time closure on Duke Street. Diversion routes will be clearly signposted and BSG will strive to complete the work as quickly as possible.

“NI Water and our contractors would like to thank local businesses, residents and commuters for their patience and cooperation while we undertake these essential improvement works which will provide a more resilient wastewater network and help to reduce the likelihood of sewer collapses, bursts and out-of-sewer flooding in these areas of Derry/Londonderry.”

ENDS

For further information and media enquiries please contact: press.office@niwater.com

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