An £8.3m project to protect hundreds of homes and businesses in Bangor from flooding has been unveiled.
The Afon Adda Flood Scheme has included works to improve pipes and culverts - some parts of which were 250 years old - so it can cope with heavy rainfall.
Many businesses in the Caernarfon Road area were hit by flooding in October 2004.
Meic Davies, of Environment Agency Wales, said the 18-month scheme was a big challenge.
"It will bring peace of mind to many residents and businesses in the centre of Bangor"
A standpipe wheel was turned to release water from the new flood storage area into the tributary stream.
Conwy MP Betty Williams launched the scheme, which was described by Geraint Davies, chairman of Flood Risk Management Wales, as "the latest major step in our strategy to minimise the impact of flooding from climate change to communities across Wales".
Geraint Davies said: "The challenge is to focus our investments to best reduce the risk and increase the resilience to flooding in Wales which could affect 170,000 properties and 500,000 people."
Meic Davies said: "The culvert carrying the Adda is very old in places and it needed to be upgraded to cope with heavy rainfall.
"We put a lot of effort into consulting with local people before the start of the scheme and into minimising the disruption during the construction phase while facing the challenges of working in confined spaces.
"Now that the scheme has been completed it will make a significant difference to people living here.
"It will bring peace of mind to many residents and businesses in the centre of Bangor and is a major contribution to improving the infrastructure which will bring wider benefit to the city."
Children's play area
The project has been carried out by Environment Agency Wales and money has come from the Welsh Assembly Government, Gwynedd council and EU Objective One.
The Afon Adda is a culverted river which flows through Bangor for three miles into the harbour.
Builders have now installed a flood storage area above Bryn Llwyd which can store water during heavy rain.
The area also doubles as a new wetland area for wildlife.
Larger pipes have been put in which can carry more water from two streams at Bryn Llwyd and Glan Adda into the main culvert.
Debris screens and silt traps to reduce the risk of blockages and enlarging works of the main culvert have been carried out.
A children's playground in the Hirael area has also been built.
During the construction work Gwynedd Archaeological Trust carried out work around the cathedral to find out more about Bangor's history.
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