THE signing this week of the main contract for the King’s Island Flood Relief Scheme marks a significant milestone in a long-awaited project to protect King’s Island in Limerick City from future catastrophic flooding events like the one that devastated the local community in 2014.
Limerick City and County Council, in conjunction with the Office of Public Works (OPW), announced the signing of the main contract for the scheme with Ward and Burke Construction Ltd this Monday (September 30).
The Flood Relief Scheme will offer significantly increased protection against tidal flooding for 506 residential and 22 non-residential properties – and is hoped to in turn enhance residential amenity, promote business and tourism, and protect culturally and economically significant tourist destinations.
New footpaths and cycle paths included in the school will also bolster recreation and tourism opportunities in the area.
The signing of the contract comes 10 years on from devastating flooding across large swathes of King’s Island and St Mary’s Park in February 2014, in which scores of people had to be evacuated from their swamped homes by the army.
Many residents lost cars, furniture, treasured family photographs, pets, and had renovate their homes due to the 2014 flood.
Mayor John Moran expressed his enthusiasm for the update, stating that “after years of planning, it is great to see this project get underway for real”.
“By investing in these robust defences, we are not only protecting homes and business, but also saving the future of King’s Island. Coupled with the recent THRIVE funding announcement for historic buildings on Nicholas Street and surrounding areas, the flood relief scheme allows us to move forward with other projects like the new community centre and the King John’s Castle Masterplan.”
The King’s Island Flood Relief Scheme includes 2,200 metres of 2.5-metre-high earthen flood embankment with a three-metre-wide footpath/cycleway and public lighting. It also includes plans for flood defence upgrades to existing quay walls, including deconstruction of existing quay walls and parapets, lime mortar repointing, lime grouting, and stonework repair, along with construction of flood defence walls and associated works.
OPW Minister and Limerick TD Kieran O’Donnell TD welcomed the progress on the scheme, deeming it a “significant milestone for the project that will see major improvements to the flood defences in Limerick City, protecting 506 homes and 22 businesses”.
Minister O’Donnell added that “the scheme aims to minimise the risk of flooding to the existing community and prevent re-occurrences of similar flood events that the area experienced in 2014”.
