Residents of the Carrigane Rd near Midleton have been left frustrated as to when waterworks along the road will be completed, according to a Cork county councillor.

A major sewerage line is being constructed from Midleton to Carrigtwohill, as Midleton cannot expand anymore due to a lack of capacity, while a Carrigtwohill plant has spare capacity, said Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry.

The works have been ongoing for the last four or five months, but now all works have ceased, much to the annoyance of residents and businesses operating on the Carrigane Rd, said Mr Barry.

“Where is this project now, and its timeline? The effect is, if it doesn’t happen, will Midleton be stuck in a crisis in that you can’t expand in Midleton? Work has ceased on that project for the last two weeks, with no discussion with residents or the business people who are there,” he said.

Contractors have left the site and there is no indication of when they will return, said Mr Barry.

The Carrigane Rd is one of the main roads in the area and is particularly used by residents north of Midleton travelling back towards Carrigtwohill.

“The road is essentially closed and has been closed for the last couple of months. That was grand when the contractors were on site, and working, and people understood that. Now everything has stopped,” said Mr Barry.

An Uisce Éireann spokesperson said the utility company is working in partnership with Cork County Council to progress the Midleton Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund (LIHAF) Wastewater Project. These works commenced in late June 2022.

“Construction works are continuing on the wastewater project that involves two new wastewater pumping stations in the Water Rock area and the associated new pipework to Carrigtwohill.

“Works are being undertaken by our main works contractor GEDA Construction Ltd at two locations, the pump station sites and pipelaying areas.

“Significant progress has been made to date on constructing the main Water Rock pump station and the pipelines between Nordic Business Park and Carrigtwohill. Workload will vary at these locations over the course of the project and we will continue to liaise with the local community to limit any disruption during the works,” the spokesperson added.

Debbie Holden, Uisce Éireann project manager, said: “This is another step towards development of essential new housing and businesses in the Water Rock area.”