Scottish Water has said it is now entering the final phase of its project in the Steel Street area.

The work, when complete, will help to improve the local environment as well as tackle sewer flooding.

The £1.5m project has involved improvements being carried out to the waste water infrastructure to help reduce the risk of internal flooding affecting 13 properties in Steel Street and Cardwell Road.

The utility provider had said that a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) located at the bottom of Steel Street, at its junction with Cove Road, was unable to cope with water flows during storm conditions. As a result, this led to waste water backing up in Steel Street and flooding occurred.

-- Advertisement --

A new CSO has since been installed by contractor George Leslie.

In addition, around 80 metres of waste water pipe that feeds into the CSO along Cardwell Road has been upsized, while a 110-meter long stretch of pipe from Steel Street has allowed the sewer to be increased. This will increase capacity on the local network.

With a majority of the work now finished ahead of schedule, Scottish Water has said road traffic restrictions in the Adam Street, Sharp Street and Cardwell Road areas have been lifted. Small-scale road traffic management will remain in place at Cove Road however, as contractors work to reinstate a traffic island and resurface the road. The CSO will also be commissioned shortly, while a new 180-metre outfall from the CSO into the Firth of Clyde will be installed.

Work is expected to be completed in December 2014.

Mark Maclaren, Scottish Water's communities team regional manager, said: "Scottish Water is fully aware of the inconvenience that flooding can cause and we are committed to tackling this and to improving the natural environment so we are pleased to be making good progress and entering the final phase of this investment in our infrastructure in Gourock."

(JP/MH)