Historically, the Mill River flowed openly through Bantry. As the town developed, sections of the river were enclosed in culverts to allow construction above. Today, the culvert network includes sections that are structurally deteriorated and hydraulically constrained. In some locations, there is evidence of cracking, joint failure and localised collapse. Bantry has experienced surface water flooding due to the limited capacity of the existing culvert system and the increasing intensity of rainfall events.
The project addresses these issues by:
Increasing culvert capacity to better accommodate peak flows
Improving structural integrity of the drainage network
Disconnecting the foul and surface water networks from the culvert
Enhancing resilience to future climate conditions
The project received planning approval in February 2025.