Passage West roadworks are paused despite being ahead of schedule

CONTRACTORS working on behalf of Irish Water will be unable to work in Passage West this week - despite being ahead of schedule - because they have no road closure licence.

Ward & Burke is carrying out works in Passage West as part of Irish Water’s Cork Lower Harbour Main Drainage Project which entails the laying of 550 metres of sewers.

They had envisaged carrying out the works in three parts with the third part requiring a closure from Toureen Terrace for five weeks from October 22 to November 23. A road closure licence was granted for this period.

However, despite previous works progressing ahead of schedule and Irish Water and local businesses wanting Ward & Burke to press on with works, the contractor will now have to wait until next week to resume.

Councillor Seamus McGrath (FF) said the overwhelming feeling of local businesses is that they would like to see the work progressed this week in order to have it finished well in advance of Christmas but said there are legal and procedural obstacles that cannot be overcome.

“It’s great news they are ahead of schedule and we all understandably want them to finish early. It’s doesn’t take away from the continued appalling planning, poor communication and what seems to me, the absence of a concrete plan for the most difficult phase,” he said.