Flood work ready to go to tender

THE flood defence works on the River Dargle are to go to tender, with Bray Town Council and the OPW having agreed plans to advance the scheme.

The project under contractors SIAC collapsed last year. The €27 million scheme should have been complete by October 2014.

‘ Officials have confirmed that the OPW and the Council will be issuing about 16 tenders in the next four weeks to carry out works in relation to the flood scheme,’ said Cllr. David Grant.

One of these tenders is for the appointment of a Construction Manager with extensive experience in the area of flood defence works.

Cllr. Grant explained that It is expected that these tenders will be back in time to allow works in the river commence around July 1 and for the rest of the season that works are allowed in river. Other project works, that are being tendered for now, will continue out of river from October onwards.

The Council itself has also taken up the role of Community Liaison contact that has been left vacant following the withdrawal of the contractor from the site.

‘ This is an important development as the residents have been left with no direct contact to the project since the end of last year,’ said Cllr. Grant.

‘It is good to see the commitment to completing the River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme, but it must be followed through.

‘Residents are sceptical and until such time as works recommence confidence in the project will remain low.’