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After a week of pumping operations, the hopper dredger Strandway has successfully restored beach levels near the Hovertravel terminal in Portsmouth, England.
According to the Southsea Coastal Scheme, the beach recharge between the new rock at the Naval War Memorial and the Hovertravel terminal has now been completed following continuous work from Thursday evening to Tuesday evening.
This essential activity involved placing large volumes of shingle to restore beach levels pumping approximately 50,000m3 of shingle onto the shore.
This new shingle beach helps absorb wave energy and reduce the risk of coastal flooding. It’s a better option than sand which would just get washed away during a big storm, leaving Southsea vulnerable to major flood events.
In addition, sand would cost up to ten times more to maintain, compared to the shingle beach. Maintaining the beach is a critical part of the scheme’s long-term flood defence strategy for Southsea.