Strand car park reopening only temporary

Westmeath County Council has confirmed that the re-opening of the Strand car park is only a temporary measure. However, it may be some months before it is closed again.

It was announced in January of this year that the car park would be closed until next December to facilitate construction work on the €114 million Athlone Main Drainage wastewater project.

The County Council have said that the car park is temporarily re-opened while they are waiting for Ward and Burke Construction Ltd, who are delivering the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme on behalf of Uisce Éireann, to inform them of their return date to undertake more tunnelling work. This may be in the fourth quarter of this year.

Uisce Éireann said the installation of almost three kilometres of underground sewer pipes will bring the Athlone Main Drainage Scheme one step closer to the ultimate goal of reducing the risk of sewer flooding in Athlone, whilst addressing non-compliant sewer overflows to the River Shannon