The First Complete Section of Rossall Sea Defenses

The first whole section of new sea defenses, from promenade to beach, has been completed at Rossall as work to replace two kilometers of defenses enters the final stages.

Wyre Council is replacing sea defenses from Rossall Hospital to Rossall Point in a £63 million coastal defense scheme that will protect 7,500 properties from the risk of flooding. Work to develop an ecology park known as Larkholme Grasslands on the landward side from West Way to Fairway also started recently.

Councillor Roger Berry, Cabinet member with responsibility for sea defenses at Wyre Council, said: “This first complete section is a significant milestone in our project and it is great to see the full breadth of the scheme for the first time. We began building the new defenses back in April 2014 and work centered predominantly on importing rock armor and constructing the lower revetment out of view.”

“Now the promenade is taking shape much more of the defenses are visible from the highway and we have started landscaping the ecology park on the landward side. Once complete, residents will have substantially improved protection against flooding and a fantastic public open space,” added Councillor Berry.

270,000 tonnes of rock armor are being used to create the base of the defenses, to weather the harsh conditions on this exposed part of the coastline and allow the beach to build up in the area.

Between the rock revetment and the promenade, specially manufactured precast concrete is being used to form a stepped revetment to break the waves. Each unit, of which there are over 1000 in total, is the weight of around two double decker buses and is placed in position by a vacuum lifter from a crane.

The promenade, which has been significantly widened, will also be concrete and similar in design to Cleveleys. The new sea defenses are due to be completed in November 2017 when the promenade will also re-open. Larkholme Grasslands will be completed in spring 2018.

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