‘Big Dig’ to resume on Galway city centre streets after summer

From this week’s Galway City Tribune – Rehabilitation works on the city’s main pedestrian throughfare are set to restart later this year – with a decision yet to be made on what the final surface will look like.

The works, which started in 2019 and have run cyclically outside peak tourist season – and faced delays due to Covid-19 – will recommence at the end of summer on High Street and continue to Quay Street, with an estimated completion date in the first quarter of 2023.

Chief Executive of Galway City Council, Brendan McGrath, confirmed to the City Tribune that the continuation of the project – which involves major improvements to the water and sewer networks beneath the surface – were on hold until the end of summer.

“We are finished out as far as Shop Street and Mainguard Street, but there are two remaining phases to be completed later in the year. Because of the narrower width of the street [on High Street and Quay Street], we are restricted in space and a lot of the work will have to be done by hand.

“I would love if we could get High Street started straight away but because of the tourist season we are coming into, we are probably looking at a start date of late September or early October,” said Mr McGrath.

The tarmac that has been installed in the centre portions of the street was only a temporary measure, he said, and once works concluded on these final two phases, a decision would be taken on the permanent surface.

(Photo: Pat Cantwell)

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