Flood relief scheme won’t be completed before 2027

Galway County Council has finally revealed the time frame for the construction and completion of the much-delayed flood relief scheme for Ballinasloe.

However, a meeting of Ballinasloe Municipal Council was told that one of the major flood risk areas on the outskirts of the town would not be financed – unless local residents provided barriers themselves.

This, according to Cathaoirleach Cllr Dermot Connolly, was not realistic, given that around 25 houses were at annual risk of flooding – and locals could not afford flood barriers.

Members of Ballinasloe Area Council were informed that the €10 million works would not be completed until the end of 2027, with a lot of that time scale down to the administration process.

The scheme involves several major infrastructure upgrades to protect the flood-prone town into the future. New flood defences include 530m of walls and 5km of flood defence embankments along with a demountable flood gate.

Two new flood alleviation arch culverts, each 6m wide, will also be installed at Ballinasloe’s East Bridge, while landscaping works will be carried out at this location

Other work included in the scheme include two lock gates across the canal and a sluice gate across the channel flowing into the marina from the canal and upgrades to the existing Kilclooney Road Bridge on the River Deerpark.

It also involves improvements on the riverbed around the bridge and maintenance of the east and west channels to ensure their maximum efficiency in the event of a flood.

Cllr Dermot Connolly has welcomed the flood relief scheme but regrets that it does not include Station Road which is the minor road to Ahascragh from the town.

The road is constantly under threat of flooding given its low-lying location and has been closed to traffic over the years as a result of heavy rainfall.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App

Download the Connacht Tribune Digital Edition App to access to Galway’s best-selling newspaper.

Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.

Or purchase the Digital Edition for PC, Mac or Laptop from Pagesuite  HERE.

Get the Connacht Tribune Live app
The Connacht Tribune Live app is the home of everything that is happening in Galway City and county. It’s completely FREE and features all the latest news, sport and information on what’s on in your area. Click HERE to download it for iPhone and iPad from Apple’s App Store, or HERE to get the Android Version from Google Play.