Works progressing well on North Quays Infrastructure Project
North Quays Progress; It’s almost a year to the day since Waterford City and County Council and BAM entered into contract for the construction of the new integrated transport hub at the North Quays, a sustainable transport bridge, as well as enhanced multi-modal access infrastructure.
In the twelve months since contracts were exchanged works have been progressing well and are scheduled to be complete in 2025. That progress is very evident on the ground, with works continuing in all areas of the site and construction cranes dotting the skyline.
Two of the cofferdams required for the foundations of the Sustainable Transport Bridge are now substantially complete and these works will continue in 2024. The piers require the construction of four cofferdams, a watertight enclosure to allow construction work below the waterline. The cofferdams are created by driving interlocking piles through the bed of the River Suir to form the watertight enclosures. The water is then pumped out of the cofferdam to create a dry workspace to facilitate the construction of the pier foundations.
Meanwhile the steel superstructure for the bridge is being fabricated in Belgium and will be transported to Waterford to be lifted into position once the foundations and piers are complete. Works have also commenced on the Southern landing point with sheet piling works visible from the South Quays.
Piling and foundations for the new Public Transport Hub and rail platforms are also close to completion and the construction of the main building block is underway.
Five new access bridges that will provide multi-modal access over the rail corridors providing connectivity between the Ferrybank area, the Greenway corridor, Public Transport Hub, Sustainable Transport Bridge, and the North Quays Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) development are simultaneously under construction.
Commenting on the programme of works, Michael Quinn, Director of Services with Waterford City and County Council said, “The North Quays Infrastructure project is advancing on time and on budget. In the space of a year the volume and scale of works is very apparent with activity to the North of the Strategic Development Zone site, the South Plaza and in the River Suir.”
“While roadworks and associated traffic management continue to operate on Dock Road in Ferrybank, and are being managed to minimise delays and disruption, Waterford City and County Council appreciates the public’s cooperation during the construction phase, and we will endeavour to continue to engage actively and directly with local communities and stakeholders.”
Mark Phelan, Construction Director with BAM added, “’We are delighted with the progress on this project, which stems from the collaboration with Waterford City and County Council, the design team ROD, our supply chain partners, our workforce and the local community working together as a team.
“We are also pleased to be collaborating with South East Technological University (SETU) in using the project as a living laboratory for SETU students via our ‘Building a Bridge to Education’ programme to enrich their hands-on construction experience in parallel to their academic modules.
“We are committed to delivering this project in a sustainable way that will boost the quality of life, the economy, and the sustainability of the region, and are very satisfied that our sustainability initiatives on the project are yielding positive results.”
Separately, the works contracts for the relocation of the Ferrybank Pump Station will be complete in early 2024. An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the Western Rail Flood Defence and Integrated Drainage System in February this year.
The overall 2.4km system will provide flood protection for both existing and new rail infrastructure and make it climate resilient into the future. The design of the system is being advanced, and construction will commence in 2024.
Harcourt Developments are currently finalising their planning scheme for the private SDZ development for submission to Waterford City & County Council. The mixed-use development will include significant residential accommodation, as well as office and hotel accommodation, retail offerings and high-quality public realm spaces. Construction of the private SDZ development is anticipated to start in 2024.
Harcourt Developments is a Dublin-based property development and management company with a broad portfolio of award-winning projects.
Their portfolio boasts Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, Northern Ireland’s most important regeneration project. Located in the world-famous birthplace of Titanic and home to the Game of Thrones television production, Titanic Quarter is a vibrant, mixed-use scheme with over 1.8 million sq.ft. (140,000 sqm.) of commercial space, plus residential, retail, and hospitality and tourism spaces. Titanic Belfast is one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions.
The story behind the North Quays Project
The Waterford North Quays Project received approval for investment of €170.6m in November 2022.
The URDF is providing investment of €100.6m and the NTA is providing investment of €70m for the site, which was designated a Strategic Development Zone (SDZ) by the Government in 2016. This was in recognition of the social and economic importance of the site to the State. The transformative project will create a sustainable modern mixed-use development that will harness and extend Waterford’s city centre, whilst reinstating the primacy of the river by creating a compact and vibrant core centred on the River Suir.
The overall level of estimated public infrastructure investment is €207m. This includes contracts for enabling works (demolition, site clearance, utility diversions, rock slope stabilisation, drainage & flood defence works, footpath widening) as well as the main construction contract for the bridge, transport hub and access roads.
