TRAFFIC will be re-routed in parts of the city as Irish Water replaces over 400 metres of old water pipes to provide a more secure and reliable water supply in the Barrington Street area.
The works, which commenced this week in conjunction with Limerick City and County Council, is expected to be completed in March.
The project will see old pipes replaced between the Barrington Street and Quinlan Street junction, up Barrington Street, looping around Pery Street and returning to the Upper Hartstonge Street and O’Connell Street junction.
The old pipes will be replaced with modern, high-density polyethylene (plastic) pipes, which will lead to a big reduction in the likelihood of bursts and water outages.
Carried out as part of Irish Water’s national Leakage Reduction Programme, the project will also involve laying new water service connections from the public water main in the road to customers’ property boundaries and connecting it to the customers’ water supply.
Where the existing service connections on the public side are lead these will be replaced as part of this improvement work.
“As they get older, some pipes have a high level of leakage as well as being subject to frequent bursts,” said Gerry O’Donnell, Leakage Reduction Programme Regional Lead, Irish Water.
“Replacing these old, damaged pipes will ensure a more reliable and resilient water supply for the area.”
Barrington Street will be restricted to one lane for the duration of the works with no access from O’Connell Avenue.
There will be no vehicular access to Barrington Street from Newenham Street.
Vehicles wishing to access Barrington Street will do so via a diversion from Hartstonge Street/Pery Square where traffic will flow back to O’Connell Avenue.
Public transport is re-routed through Hartstonge Street in place of Barrington Street for the duration of the works.
