Strand car park reopens as Athlone Main Drainage Scheme nears completion

Information below is relevant until further updates are provided here or on our Supply and Service Updates section

Uisce Éireann has announced the reopening of the Strand car park in Athlone town centre, marking another significant milestone in the delivery of the €114 million Athlone Main Drainage Scheme.

The car park, which was temporarily closed to facilitate tunnelling works, has now been fully reinstated and reopened to the public, restoring a key amenity in the heart of Athlone.

Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann, Eunan Canavan, welcomed the reopening saying: “The reopening of the Strand car park is another important step toward the completion of this transformative project. With works now more than 95% complete, the finish line is in sight. We’d like to thank the people and businesses of Athlone for their continued patience and support as we finalise the delivery of the scheme that will protect the environment, reduce the risk of flooding, and support the next generation of growth in the town.”

The project continues to progress with cross-connection works linking the existing and new sewer networks now almost complete, while the decommissioning of redundant pumping stations and sections of the existing sewer network, including combined sewer overflows, is underway at various locations. Coosan West Pumping Station has also been completed and is in operation. Testing and commissioning of the new terminal pumping station at Golden Island is at an advance stage and final finishing works are underway.

The Athlone Main Drainage Scheme is one of the most significant projects that Uisce Éireann has carried out to date. The mammoth investment involves the construction of new pumping stations at Golden Island and Coosan West, and almost three kilometres of new underground sewer pipes. When complete later this year, it will transform Athlone by reducing the risk of sewer flooding in the town, addressing non-compliant sewer overflows into the River Shannon as well as increasing the capacity of the sewer network enabling future population growth.  

For further information on this project, visit the dedicated project page here.    

Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. To find out more, visit the website.