NI Water's contractor, BSG, has finished the tunnelling phase of the project entailing the installation of 620 metres of a new large-diameter sewer beneath Meadow Lane.

The 25-tonne Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) broke through to the new stormwater storage tank last week to complete this significant element of work.

The recently installed 1500mm diameter pipe, positioned eight metres below ground level, constitutes a crucial component of NI Water's significant investment aimed at improving network capacity. Using tunnelling techniques, NI Water and BSG minimised disruption along Meadow Lane, facilitating swift installation of the new pipe. Instead, open-cut methods – which require traffic management - are only being employed to tie into the existing network. BSG is due to commence the second connection on Meadow Lane this week.

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On site to see the TBM breaking through was NI Water's Director of Infrastructure Delivery, Tzvetelina Bogoina, who commented: "I was delighted to see the completion of the tunnelling works in relation to the extensive Meadow Lane wastewater upgrade. This has been a challenging element of the project and only made possible by the support of local businesses and council who accommodated tunnelling pits within their land ownership.

"NI Water is grateful to these landowners as well as local businesses and the wider public for their ongoing patience as we deliver this important project to protect the environment and support growth in the area. I’d like to pay tribute to the project team from McAdam and BSG, as well as their subcontractors from B&W Tunnelling, for their unfaltering efforts to complete this major element of work."

Reinstatement of the tunnelling pits at Meadow Lane East Car Park, Tim Hortons and at Annagh Fields will be carried out once all the connections have been completed.

Apart from the pipelaying endeavour, progress is swiftly advancing on the construction of the new 20-meter diameter stormwater storage tank. With a depth of 9 meters, it boasts a capacity of 1,500,000 litres of rain/storm water. This tank plays a pivotal role in the upcoming wastewater pumping station, mitigating the threat of out-of-sewer flooding in the vicinity.

The ongoing installation and construction of this new infrastructure are poised to bolster local development and economic expansion while ensuring environmental preservation in the Portadown area. Completion of the project is anticipated by mid-2025.