Upgrade works are to begin on the county’s biggest watermain later this month.
Irish Water, Kerry County Council and contractors will replace sections of a watermain which runs through Farranfore and supplies Tralee, Castlemaine, Castleisland and surrounding areas.
The 600mm watermain, which forms the spine of the Kerry Central Regional Water Supply Scheme, has burst on a number of occasions in recent years.
This resulted in thousands of homes around the county being without water and major traffic delays on the N22.
Upgrade works, which will begin on August 30th, will be carried during evening and night-time hours, Monday evening to Friday morning.
It’s expected works will finish by the end of October.
The N22 Killarney to Tralee Road will have a one lane stop-go system in place from 7 pm-7 am, with the road reopening fully during the day.
An optional alternative route that bypasses the works will be signposted, and vehicles may take the alternative routes if they wish.
Steven Blennerhasset, Regional Delivery Lead with Irish Water, says that Irish Water recently engaged with elected representatives in relation to the frequent outages.
He adds the utility company, with colleagues in Kerry County Council, is being proactive in trying to resolve the problem .
Full traffic details
In order to minimise traffic impacts and complete the works in an efficient and safe manner the works will be carried out at night. The working hours are 7 pm to 7 am, Monday evening to Friday morning for the duration of the works. One lane will be closed during these night-time working hours with a stop-go system in place for these hours. Works will commence on the south side of the level crossing at Farranfore Train station and proceed toward Killarney for approximately 1km. The works do not cross the railway tracks. The N22 Killarney to Tralee Road will remain fully open during the day, from 7 am to 7 pm, throughout the works. Residents and businesses in the areas of the works will be notified, and customers can call the Irish Water customer helpline on 1850 278 278 for any questions in relation to the works.
