Seamus Concannon, Director of Infrastructural Services, previews the delivery of Sligo’s major infrastructural projects for 2007

Developing our road network

Roads and Transportation, Water Services, Piers and Harbours and Coastal Protection are the main responsibilities of the Infrastructural Services Directorate.

Planning and design will continue on the major road networks in Sligo in 2007. The N17-Tubbercurry Bypass and the N4 Collooney to Castlebaldwin, will be ready to go to Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) stage in 2007. Detailed design is continuing on the N15 Hughes Bridge to Shannon-Eighter. It is expected that the Sligo Eastern Bridge and approach roads will go through the planning stage in 2007 and that work will have commenced on the Western Distributor Road. A feasibility study on a new Western Bypass will be complete in early 2007 with a view to putting forward a proposal for inclusion in the Development Plan.

Work will continue on existing projects to improve Regional roads in 2007 at an estimated cost of €4m. These projects include the R292 Knappaghmore, R294 Mullaghroe, R284 Drumiskabole, R286 Bellanode, R297 Bartragh as well as improvement works to various bridges.

The policy of providing access to Sligo, a gateway city, is crucial to facilitate the accelerated development envisaged. Providing modern transportation routes through the major national and regional roads is vital. In that regard it is proposed to commence planning on a new regional access road for Strandhill Airport.

Water Services

In the Water Services section the major project in 2007 will be the construction of the wastewater treatment facility at Finisklin, Sligo. This plant, with a 50,000 population equivalent capacity, will treat the effluent from Sligo City and Environs, including the areas of Rosses Point, Teesan/Lisnalurg, Cummeen and Carraroe. The overall cost of the project is in the region of €33m.

Construction of a new wastewater treatment plant for Enniscrone at an estimated cost in excess of €3m, will also commence in 2007. In addition, new plants are being planned for many of the remaining towns and villages in the county, and construction will start on some of these in 2007. The programme of constructing new wastewater facilities will contribute to improving the environment and allowing for orderly development in the County’s towns and villages.

The main project being planned for the provision of a quality supply of drinking water is a new treatment works at Kilsellagh, which supplies the north side of Sligo City and Environs at an estimated cost of €10m. Construction is expected to commence towards the end of 2007. New schemes for Lough Talt in the south county area and for the North Sligo works are in the planning stage.

The countywide water conservation project continues in 2007 involving mapping, water audits, testing, leak repair and identification of replacement needs.

On the operation side, over €7m will be spent on operating and maintaining the water and wastewater services throughout the county in 2007.

Rural Water Programme

Major progress was made on the rural water programme in 2006 with the commissioning of two grouped Design Build Operate (DBO) projects which provided new plants for Ballintrillick, Beltra, Benbulben, Castletown, Drum East, Keelogyboy, Castlebaldwin, Keash, Culfadda, Corrick and Geevagh. Progress on the upgrading and taking over of schemes will continue in 2007.

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