Major upgrade of sewerage system to get underway in Maghera town centre in March

The programme of work – which has already seen a repair to the network on Tirkane Road –will strengthen the sewerage network in Maghera and help protect against out-of-sewer flooding.

Work will continue this week on Fair Hill/Hall Street junction and move to other locations within the town centre over the next five weeks.

Outlining the areas where upgrades are planned and the traffic management that will be required at each location.

Kieran Grant, NI Water project manager said: “This programme of rehabilitation work to provide a more robust sewerage network in Maghera will include some open-cut excavations and relining of sewers from existing manholes at various locations within the town centre.

To carry out the work in the safest possible manner, it will be necessary to have traffic, parking and pedestrian management in place."

These are as follows: Fair Hill/Hall Street junction (26th February to 1st March): A lane closure and 3-way traffic lights implemented to facilitate an open-cut repair.

St Lurachs Road (4th to 8th March): St Lurachs Road will be closed to through traffic from its junction with Meeting House Avenue to its junction with Hall Street. Access for businesses and residents living within the closure will be maintained but may be subject to slight delays.

Bank Square (11th to 15th March): A road closure will be implemented on Bank Square from its junction with Meeting House Avenue to facilitate an open- cut sewer repair at the end of the cul-de-sac. Access to properties will be maintained but may be subject to delays.

St Lurachs Road Car Park (18th to 22nd March): A number of car parking spaces will be temporarily fenced off to facilitate the sewer upgrades within the car park. A footpath closure will be implemented on the pedestrian access laneway from Main Street through to St Lurachs Road.

Main Street and Coleraine Road (provisional date 25th – 29th March): A section of work is also required on Main Street/Church Street and on Coleraine Road. This work involves relining of sewers by trenchless means from existing manholes and therefore will not require any excavation.