A major milestone has been marked at the site of a £7 million Flood Alleviation Project in South Belfast.

Scheduled for completion in early 2023, the Ravenhill Avenue scheme will reduce the risk of out of sewer flooding in the area. 

A major Tunnelling Machine, named 'Timmy the Tunneller', has now arrived on site for the project and will tunnel below the busy Ravenhill Road and help reduce disruption during construction. The tunnel will extend 75 metres from the edge of Ormeau Park up Ravenhill Avenue. Once the tunnelling works are completed, the more traditional open cut method will be used to construct the remaining sewers and manholes.

This essential infrastructure project involves the upgrade of existing and installation of new sewers along a section of Ravenhill Avenue and surrounding streets. It will increase the capacity of the sewerage system in this area of South Belfast and update the existing infrastructure, some of which dates back to the early 1900's.

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Work is taking place in phases, progressing along Ravenhill Avenue, Sunwich Street, Federation Street and Millar Street. The project team have worked well with the local community to minimise disruption, including employing the use of underground trenchless construction methods where appropriate.

David McClean, NI Water Project Manager, was joined on site by representatives including Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon to mark the arrival of the machine.

"NI Water is delighted to welcome the Tunnelling Machine on this major Flood Alleviation Project and look forward to putting the machine into operation," Mr McClean said. "We would also like to thank Downey House for the fantastic artwork and naming our machine 'Timmy the Tunneller' and all the local schools for engaging with the project.

"We would like to thank the public for their ongoing patience as construction progresses on this major project. Once complete, the local community will benefit from this major flood alleviation project for many years to come."

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon added: "I was pleased to be on site for the arrival of this major piece of machinery to really appreciate the scale of this £7 million project. Once complete it will help to reduce the risk of out of sewer flooding, whilst minimising disruption during construction in this busy area of Belfast. Well done to all the local schools for their artwork and Downey School for naming the machine: 'Timmy the Tunneller'.

"This major flood alleviation scheme is part of the Living with Water Programme (LWWP) for Greater Belfast. The LWWP is an excellent example of how we can work together to deliver integrated sustainable drainage solutions to manage flood risk, enhance our environment, and allow our local economy to grow."

Geda Construction is the main contractor for this project, with AECOM providing design and Project Management Support.