Flood scheme works nears final stages

Work which will hopefully end the long-running flooding saga at Toome Road and Queen Street is about to reach the final stages.

NI Water concede the scheme is likely to cause disruption in the area and they have unveiled plans for ‘local consultation meetings’ which will inform the public of exactly what is going to happen.

Work will recommence on Phase 1 of the major flood alleviation project in late March and it is anticipated that work will take approximately five weeks to complete.

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The remainder of work in this phase is sewer rehabilitation, which will be carried out in the vicinity of Toome Road, Queen Street, Wakehurst Road and Larne Road.

As far as possible, this work will be carried out using ‘no-dig’ trenchless techniques, which will minimise disruption and reduce the duration of the works.

However, it will still be necessary at some locations to carry out ‘open-dig’ work due to the condition of the existing sewer.

A spokesperson said: “NI Water are holding a public information event, where residents, business owners and the public are welcome to come along at any stage to find out more about the overall project and discuss the proposed construction works.

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“Members of the NI Water project team will be available to discuss the scheme in further detail along with any queries you may have. The event will be held on Tuesday, March 7 from 5.00pm – 7.00pm at Harryville Community Centre, Brooke Park.” The spokesperson continued: “NI Water is fully aware that this is a very busy junction/area and will require careful planning regarding the timing of the works and Traffic management arrangements employed. These arrangements have been discussed in advance with TransportNI.

“In order for the works to be carried out safely, it will be necessary to have lane closures in place in the vicinity of the roundabout on Queen Street and manually operated temporary traffic lights will be in place during this time. Work around the roundabout will be undertaken outside of peak hours.

“To reduce disruption and expedite the works we also plan to carry out some evening works and we will endeavour to minimise disruption as far as possible during these times. NI Water along with our contractor AG Wilson would like to thank the local businesses and wider community in advance for their patience and cooperation while we complete this essential improvement work.”

Once completed, this phase of the project will maximise the capacity of the existing sewers providing the local community with improved sewerage systems that are less prone to failure from blockages and sewer collapses and will also reduce the risks of ‘out of sewer’ flooding and environmental pollution.

Customer queries regarding this project should be directed to Waterline on 03457 440088, quoting “KB522 Toome Road Ballymena Flood Alleviation Scheme – Public Information Event”

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