Residents along a coastal strip of Sandymount in south Dublin are to face almost a year’s worth of significant traffic disruption as Irish Water begins replacing a century-old pipeline.
From late September until next summer, Strand Road will be limited to northbound traffic. Southbound traffic will be diverted for the duration of the works.
More than 3km worth of dilapidated pipeline will be dug up and modernised following increased leakage rates over the last 10 years.
Critical infrastructure
“We are acutely aware that upgrades to our critical infrastructure can be disruptive to the local community and road users and so we are using innovative and modern engineering techniques to reduce the impact of the works,” said Matthew Thomson, regional head of Irish Water’s leakage reduction programme.
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“Based on previous experiences, we know that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits that the new pipeline will deliver.”
According to the organisation, about 800km, or 8 per cent, of Dublin’s 10,000km of pipelines were installed before 1930. Engineers have identified this major arterial line along Beach Road and Strand Road as requiring full replacement due to its age and deterioration. While certain to disrupt a major traffic artery, Irish Water says more than 80,000 people will ultimately benefit from a more secure supply once the project is completed. The project is part of a wider strategic approach to water management in the city, focusing on reducing leakage.
Water mains
Works are to be carried out on a phased basis, limited to short sections, with the first beginning at the Ringsend Park end of Seán Moore Road.
Such arterial, or trunk, water mains distribute significant volumes of water at high pressure to supply large numbers of homes and businesses.
“In this case, the age of the pipe has been found to be a big factor in high leakage rates in the area,” Irish Water said on Friday.
“In addition, when an arterial water main bursts it can cause temporary loss of supply for thousands of customers as well as potential damage to homes and businesses, and major traffic disruption due to the complex repairs needed.”
This particular pipeline, the replacement of which will cover more than 3km, was laid almost 100 years ago. The last 10 years has seen an increase in bursting and leakage.
Isolating and repairing the pipeline is complicated by a network of ááunderground services such as gas, telecoms and electricity. Normal water supplies are expected to be maintained during the works.
