Haulbowline will need 200,000 tonnes of soil

Up to 200,000 tonnes of soil will have to be brought into the site to cap it and level it off and work will have to be undertaken on a 24-hour basis because of tidal constraints.

The local authority’s project manager, Cormac Ó Súilleabháin, also said before any of this is done, the bridge from Ringaskiddy onto Haulbowline island will have to be upgraded.

Mr Ó Súilleabháin said the current bridge had a 25 tonnes capacity limit on it and it will have to be strengthened to ensure it can take up to 60 tonnes to facilitate the passage of lorry loads of soil. Work on upgrading the bridge will take around eight months.