Works progressing well on Waterford North Quays Infrastructure project
Works progressing well on Waterford North Quays Infrastructure project
It’s almost a year to the day since BAM and Waterford City and County Council entered into contract for the construction of Waterford’s new integrated transport hub at the North Quays, a Sustainable Transport Bridge, as well as enhanced multi-modal access infrastructure.
In the twelve months since contracts were exchanged works have been progressing well and are scheduled to be complete in 2025.
The Sustainable Transport Bridge will connect the North Quays to the heart of Waterford centre, providing access for pedestrians, bicycles, and a courtesy bus service. It will support Waterford’s economic, tourism and sustainable development, and the creation of a vibrant core centred on the river.
Two of the cofferdams required for the foundations of the Sustainable Transport Bridge are now substantially complete and these works will continue in 2024. The piers require the construction of four cofferdams, a watertight enclosure to allow construction work below the waterline. The cofferdams are created by driving interlocking piles through the bed of the River Suir to form the watertight enclosures. The water is then pumped out of the cofferdam to create a dry workspace to facilitate the construction of the pier foundations.
Meanwhile, the steel superstructure for the bridge is being fabricated in Belgium and will be transported to Waterford to be lifted into position once the foundations and piers are complete. Works have also commenced on the Southern landing point with sheet piling works visible from the South Quays.
Piling and foundations for the new Public Transport Hub and rail platforms are also close to completion and the construction of the main building block is underway.
Mark Phelan, Construction Director with BAM said:
“We are delighted with the progress on this project, which stems from the collaboration with Waterford City and County Council, the design team ROD, our supply chain partners, our workforce and the local community working together as a team.
“We are also pleased to be collaborating with South East Technological University (SETU) in using the project as a living laboratory for SETU students via our ‘Building a Bridge to Education’ programme to enrich their hands-on construction experience in parallel to their academic modules.
“We are committed to delivering this project in a sustainable way that will boost the quality of life, the economy, and the sustainability of the region, and are very satisfied that our sustainability initiatives on the project are yielding positive results. Among others, these include at our site compound with eighty-five solar panels, four EV chargers and the completion of a transition from diesel to HVO in our equipment.”
Commenting on the programme of works, Michael Quinn, Director of Services with Waterford City and County Council said, “The North Quays Infrastructure project is advancing on time and on budget. In the space of a year the volume and scale of works is very apparent with activity to the North of the Strategic Development Zone site, the South Plaza and in the River Suir.”
“While roadworks and associated traffic management continue to operate on Dock Road in Ferrybank, and are being managed to minimise delays and disruption, Waterford City and County Council appreciates the public’s cooperation during the construction phase and we will endeavour to continue to engage actively and directly with local communities and stakeholders.”
