Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has announced a significant milestone in the delivery of the Portadown Flood Alleviation Scheme, with the next stage of the procurement process now underway.

The Minister confirmed that the scheme has moved into the “Participation Stage” of procurement, marking a key step towards the appointment of contractors to deliver the works. The development follows extensive preparatory work and reflects the urgency of addressing flood risk in the Portadown area.

Minister Kimmins said: "This is an important step forward for the Portadown Flood Alleviation Scheme. Significant flood events have been recorded in Portadown over the last 30-40 years. This includes during Autumn 2023 when there was widespread flooding across the region after the wettest October in over 153 years of records.

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"This is a vitally important Scheme with proposals being developed to reduce the risk of river flooding to over 380 homes and businesses at 21 different sites across the Portadown Area. It is being designed with an allowance for climate change and includes the construction of approximately eight kilometres of flood defences at a total project cost estimate of approximately £60 million.

"Preparation for the procurement process has been moving forward at pace and I am pleased to confirm that the next stage of the procurement process has commenced with the publishing of the 'Participation Stage' documents. This will lead to the identification of a restricted list of tenderers who will be asked to price the works."

The Portadown Flood Alleviation Scheme is expected to enter the construction phase in Autumn/Winter 2026. The project is anticipated to take approximately six years to complete and will be delivered in three phases, each lasting around two years.