Work is progressing well on the seawall defences project along the Eastern Cliffs Esplanade, Ventnor.
The newly installed king pile seawall managed to hold its own during the recent Storms, Babet and Ciaran, in October and November.
Testament to its robust design and construction, no damage occurred to the new structure.
Challenges and progress
However, the same cannot be said for the existing seawall, which sustained more damage during the storms.
The Isle of Wight council’s experienced marine contractor was able to stabilise the situation immediately, but they say, they challenges didn’t end there.
Due to the adverse conditions, access to the construction site, which is dependent on the tides and weather, has been very difficult.
If the weather wasn’t enough of a challenge for the team, they also recently encountered a patch of very soft ground.
A spokesperson for the council said,
“This required extra stabilisation work to ensure the safe continuation of the king piling works.
“Despite these hurdles, the contractor is making significant progress, with 70 per cent of the king piles now in place. These piles form the core of the new sea defences at Eastern Esplanade.”
Managing weather risks
As the work is so dependent on the tides and weather conditions, the team is countering this by working double tides whenever possible.
The council say this approach helps to mitigate any delays caused by weather disturbances.
Looking ahead
The project is still on track for completion in spring 2024, but as you would expect, the schedule is heavily dependent on weather conditions.
