A second underwater tunnel beneath the River Shannon has successfully been completed, marking another major landmark in Uisce Éireann's €114 million Athlone Main Drainage Scheme.

The creation of this second tunnel, which links the town's sewer network from east to west, was guided by expert diving and tunnelling crews, and included the giant tunnel boring machine being lowered into an eight-metre-deep launch shaft on the river's east bank at the Strand Car Park. It carved its way through gravel and rock, beneath the riverbed and re-emerged 22 days later at the receiving shaft outside Sean's Bar on the west side. 

Shaft construction is fully complete, and the final phase of tunnelling from the Strand Carpark is well underway. Cross connection works, to facilitate the connection of the existing and new sewer networks, will continue at various locations around the town in the coming months.

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Testing and commissioning of the Coosan West Pump Station is also ongoing, and commissioning of the new terminal pumping station in Golden Island will be carried out in the summer.  

Portfolio Manager at Uisce Éireann, Eunan Canavan, said: "The successful completion of the second, and final, River Shannon crossing is a critical milestone in the delivery of this ambitious project that will shape the future of Athlone. The finish line is now clearly in sight with works over 80% complete. We'd like to thank the expert construction crews involved and, of course, the community in Athlone for their ongoing support as we deliver this critical project to protect the environment and support growth."

The mammoth Athlone Main Drainage Scheme investment involves the construction of new pumping stations at Golden Island and Coosan West, and almost three kilometres of new underground sewer pipes. When complete later this year, it will transform Athlone by reducing the risk of sewer flooding in the town, addressing non-compliant sewer overflows into the River Shannon as well as increasing the capacity of the sewer network enabling future population growth.