A £100 million contract to replace the main sewers in central Belfast has been awarded by the Government. The work is to be carried out by tunnelling contractor Morgan Est in a joint venture with Northern Ireland company Farrans Construction. The project will see the construction of a new 6 mile tunnel up to 13 feet in diameter, which will be 98 feet below the surface in places. The work will begin immediately and should take up to 3 years to complete. Katharine Byran, Chief Executive of the Water Service said, "the project represents one of the biggest infrastructure investments in the city and will dramatically improve the current sewerage system."
The majority of the existing sewers in the Belfast area date from the Victorian era, and the scheme will significantly improve the water quality in the Lagan and Blackstaff Rivers, reduce the risk of flooding in the Belfast area and ensure compliance with stringent EU environmental standards set under the urban wastewater treatment Directive 91/271/EEC. It is the latest part of the Belfast sewers project which began in 2005.
