Road construction on N9 just outside Waterford - what is this?

fricatus

Mods, this might be better suited to a civil engineering forum or even the Waterford City one... move it if you wish!

I've been looking at the construction of part of the N25 Waterford bypass, specifically the N9 realignment in the vicinity of Grannagh, and there's some preparatory work or other there that looks very interesting, though I can't for the life of me figure out what its purpose is.

As you come into Waterford from Dublin on the N9, just before the junction with the N24 (Grannagh "roundabout"), down on the left, just next to the Blackwater stream, there is an area of earth that has been raised maybe half a metre and smoothed out/levelled, possibly also compacted. It measures about 50m x 50m.

On the other side of the stream, about 150m further in the N9, the road builders appear to be doing the same thing. The ground in that area looks to be somewhat marshy and was home to a lot of tall reeds until recently.

Any ideas what this is? Sorry I've no photos...

Our man in Havana

Also a timely warning that the speed limit in this area has been reduced from 100 km/h to 50km/h from approx Waterford hire all the way into the city. The limit from Grannagh to Sallypark has gone from 60 to 50 km/h as a part of this.

I am sure the Gardai will clean up.

Bards

It's part of the CIty bypass, I would gusss for concrete foundations that will take a road over the Marsh and over the railway line connecting to Sallypark (For the City) and also West onto Slievrue thus bypass the City to the North