Uisce Éireann announces three month closure of Rock Road in Blackrock

Uisce Éireann (formerly Irish Water) has said that a full road closure will be required on the Rock Road in Blackrock for three months, beginning this Thursday 18 January, to facilitate the safe delivery of the next phase of works, which involves the installation of 2km of new water mains along the R172 Sea Road and Rock Road.

In a statement released this week Uisce Éireann said that, working in partnership with Louth County Council, it is "progressing works in Blackrock as part of a significant project aimed at upgrading and enhancing the water network across Louth".

"This project", it said "is part of Uisce Éireann's commitment to the national drive to provide homes to people who need them by developing and prioritising the delivery of key water and wastewater infrastructure. The project involves the installation of 2km of new water mains along the R172 Sea Road and Rock Road."

Programme Manager, for Uisce Éireann’s Growth and Development Programme, Padraig Hanly said he is looking forward to completing the next phase of works, commenting:

“The completion of this vital project will not only support social and economic growth, including planned housing development, it will also substantially improve the capacity and operational performance of the current water network, benefiting homes and businesses alike.

"The project reflects Uisce Éireann’s ongoing commitment to the efficient delivery of critical infrastructure to support growth in local communities across Louth."

He added, “On behalf of Uisce Éireann, I would like to thank the people of Blackrock in advance for their patience and cooperation as traffic management is ongoing. However, based on previous experiences, we know that the short-term inconvenience will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits.”

Uisce Éireann said that to date, approximately 1km of water mains has been replaced along the R172 Sea Road as far as the junction with Rock Road. 

It went on to say that to facilitate the safe delivery of the next phase of works, a full road closure will be required on Rock Road from Thursday 18 January until Friday 12 April, adding that, local and emergency access will be maintained at all times with public traffic diverted along the R172 and Sandy Lane.

In its statement it added: "We understand that this type of work can be inconvenient and work crews will make every effort to minimise disruption to the local community. Standard working hours will be between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.

"The works will be carried out on behalf of Uisce Éireann by GMC Utilities Group and are expected to be completed by this summer. 

"Uisce Éireann is responsible for delivering public drinking water and wastewater services for the people of Ireland. We are committed to enabling communities to thrive by continuously upgrading and developing critical infrastructure to support sustainable growth and development, providing safe drinking water, and enhancing the environment. To find out more visit www.water.ie."