Japanese knotweed discovery sees costs balloon on Limerick Active Travel project

A €3.9m contract to carry out an Active Travel project on a road increased to almost €7m after contractors allegedly ran into problems around an invasive plant.

Council staff put in place a contractor to carry out the major project at Plassey Park Road in Castletroy.

They agreed to pay that company €3.9m excluding VAT.

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But it’s been revealed this rose 77%, and by the end of the project, council instead paid the firm €6.9m excluding VAT - a €3m increase.

Council director general Dr Pat Daly has said the company appointed by council made claims around the presence of Japanese Knotweed.

This, he added, meant the firm needed to redesign the surface water drainage system.

The overspend is contained in the council’s annual audit report, an independent study probing the management of the local authority’s finances.

Plassey Park Road between its junction with Plassey Road and the University Road has been signalised, as part of the project.

More dedicated pedestrian and cycling crossings alongside bus lanes have been put in place.

On top of this, there has been upgrades to walking paths and cycle lanes in a move designed to improve connectivity between University of Limerick and the National Technology Park.

The audit report reveals over the course of the works, “a number of differences, claims and disputes” arose between the contractor and council.

Many of these were referred to conciliation, a process where an independent mediator tries to get both sides to settle their differences.

Dr Daly has said that the money was recouped from the National Transport Authority - which is charged with paying for and overseeing the project - last year.