The business end of the 5.6km Magnetic Island Pipeline Replacement Project is underway.

Contractors are getting into position to cut-in to the existing water main, located in Terminus Park at the northern end of Pallarenda.

The 'cutin', as it is called, involves incorporating a valved off-take from the existing pipeline. It means the new pipe can be commissioned on completion by simply opening valves said NQ Water Chief Executive Officer Ken Diehm.

The cutin is scheduled to take less than six hours, so there will be no disruption to water supply to the Island, Mr Diehm said.

In the meantime, the ring road around Terminus Park will be closed for around a week while contractors position the first 75m of pipe through the sand dune and into the sea.

The section of road entering the Environment Protection Agency's Pallarenda base will be designated 'two-way' and act as a detour during this time.

Pipes for the 5.5km project have been transported to a construction compound which has been temporarily erected in the reserve at the southern end of Pallarenda.   Work has been on-going welding together 25 m sections of 500 mm pipe into 300m long 'strings'.

There will be intermittent restrictions to public access along the beach at this location for around 30 minutes while the strings are transported to the pipe-laying barge.   This will be on-going for the duration of the project which is expected to finish in early 2005.

The pipe strings are then connected and sunk into the seabed with 1.5 tonne concrete anchors placed at five metre intervals.