Flood defences to be fully completed by early 2024

Members at the April meeting of Athlone Moate Municipal District were told that the anticipated completion date for all elements of the Athlone Flood Alleviation Scheme is the first quarter of 2024.

The overall project was described as being “80% complete” by Director of Services, Barry Kehoe, who said he would provide another update to elected members “in six months time.”

During a powerpoint presentation to the meeting, members were given an update on each of the eight flood cells that make up the overall Flood Alleviation Scheme.

The first of these, in Deerpark, commenced in mid-2019, and works are still ongoing at the site. The installation of flood walls and flood gates is “nearing completion” according to the briefing, but issues with one stakeholder are yet to be resolved.

Barry Kehoe said 89% of the works in the Deerpark area are complete, and it is hoped that the remainder of the works will be finished by the third quarter of this year. “There are some problems that could drag this into 2024, unfortunately, but if not, it will be completed by quarter 3 of this year,” he assured members.

In relation to The Strand, where works also commence in mid-2019, last week’s meeting heard that “accommodation works" are still ongoing, but that 100% of the Flood Defence Asset has been completed.

Flood defence works commenced in May 2018 at The Quay, and are now largely complete, including cladding works to the defence wall.

The briefing revealed that work around the Waterways Ireland Building commenced at the beginning of this year, and the percent of Flood Defence Asset which has been completed to date is 85%.

Brick Island works, including works in Priory Park, were stated to be 100% complete, while in Marine View the works are ongoing, including structures under the Railway Bridge. The reinstatement works on the river section were described as being 75% complete while the percent of Flood Defence Asset which has been completed is 80%.

Flood defence works began on the Golden Island site earlier this year and Barry Kehoe said he expected them to be completed “by the end of the year.”

Iona Park was described as being 100% complete while the proposed control for the River Al is a flow control “on the north side of the N6". Last week’s meeting also heard that “further hydraulic modelling” is being undertaken by consultants on the River Al and an EIAR is currently under preparation for submission to An Bord Pleanála.

Commenting on the overall project, the Director of Services said he expected “the vast majority” of the Flood Alleviation Scheme for Athlone to be completed by the end of 2023, but said “small elements” of the project could drag into 2024, but reiterated that he hoped they would be “only small.”