Southsea Coastal Scheme moving along nicely

The Southsea Coastal Scheme crews are making good progress on the UK’s largest local authority-led coastal defences project with piling works almost complete at Frontage 1 (Long Curtain Moat).

According to the officials, the piling works at Frontage 1 are due to finish within the next few weeks, so work around the site will be much quieter.

The pile line has circled around the Spur Redoubt now, with just the connection to the pile line on the east as the final section to be completed.

The officials also added that the placement of tide pools and the anorthosite rock is complete on the east side of Frontage 1. More rock is stored on the beach ready for placement at the west side works (closer to Square Tower) later in the year.

Nevertheless, work for the promenade between the Spur Redoubt and Clarence Pier continues. Excavation has started between the front and rear pile lines in preparation for placement of the apron (sloping wall between front and rear pile lines) and promenade walls.

Section by section, the crews will be removing shingle and attaching a waling beam (horizontal beam fitted across the sheet piles to secure them) to the front pile line in order for the sloping apron wall to be fitted.

The Southsea Coastal Scheme is a Portsmouth City Council project being delivered through Coastal Partners, with backing from the Environment Agency and UK Government.

The contractor for the scheme is VSBW, a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster. The partnership brings together two of the world’s leading maritime contractors; VolkerStevin focusing on marine civil engineering and Boskalis Westminster on dredging, land reclamation and marine construction.