Glanmire flood defence work to prioritise northern side of town

More than 70 houses and businesses were flooded in the area when the River Glashaboy burst its banks following torrential rainfall in June 2012

Sorensen Civil Engineering will work from north to south along the River Glashaboy. File picture: Larry Cummins

A multi-million euro flood prevention scheme which has just got underway in Glanmire, Co. Cork, will see work progress from north to south along the River Glashaboy.

More than 70 houses and businesses were flooded in the area when the river burst its banks following torrential rainfall in June 2012, which also caused extensive flooding in the Douglas and Clonakilty areas. The damage in Glanmire was estimated to be in the tens of millions of euro and since then many householders have been unable to get flood insurance cover.

The Glanmire project will involve the installation of new concrete culverts, bridges, road re-surfacing, flood defence walls and flood defence embankments.

The contractors, Sorensen Civil Engineering, have said that during the next three months they will prioritise work on the northern side of the town working their way from Sallybrook down towards the Hazelwood Shopping Centre. The contractors will concentrate on building concrete walls and earth embankments to protect businesses in Sallybrook Industrial Estate.

A new box culvert will be installed at the entrance to Cúil Chluthair estate. The work will involve the installation of a temporary bridge to maintain access for residents.

Further defence works are scheduled to take place by the ‘Circus Field’ which is adjacent to the R639 (Sallybrook to Glanmire village main road) and Hazelwood Road junction.

Additional work is planned around the boundary of the Hazelwood Shopping Centre. This will involve the ‘set back’ of the existing wall and the installation of new drainage, footpaths, and public lighting.

What's your view on this issue?

You can tell us here

The contractors say the project has been split up into a number of different zones to order to minimise disruption. They have set up two sites to store equipment, one at Sallybrook and the other at the Circus Field.

The vast majority of the 49 homes in Meadowboook estate in Glanmire were badly flooded in the 2012 incident. A number had up to five feet of water inside and some residents had to be rescued by emergency services using dinghies.

Sorensen Civil Engineering have said that any extensive work in and around that estate will not be carried out until next year. The contractors expect to complete the majority of the protection works planned for Meadowbrook during next summer.

Drainage upgrade works are expected to start there in July and end in October. Over a similar timeframe a major flood defence wall, which could be up to 10ft high, will be built between the river and the estate.

Meanwhile, pumping stations will be installed in the same area sometime between October and November.

Further information on the flood prevention scheme can be had at floodinfo.ie.