As reported by News OnTheWight in August 2023, as part of the wider coastal protection project being run by the Environment Agency, the section of the esplanade between Wheelers Bay and Bonchurch will be the next phase of works.
In the interests of public health and safety, the esplanade between Wheelers Bay and Bonchurch will be closed to the general public between from the week commencing Monday 22nd January to the week ending 22nd March 2024.
A decision has been taken to reduce the number, extent and scope of the boreholes due the significant risk associated with undertaking mitigation works ahead of drilling individual boreholes.
Efforts focused at Wheelers Bay
The Environment Agency will now focus its efforts in the vicinity of Wheelers Bay, where the coastal defences are in the poorest condition.
These works will begin on site from week commencing 22nd January, but in advance, they will be mobilising machinery and setting up two site compounds to store materials, plant and provide welfare facilities for our operatives.
Shore Road car park
The EA will set up a material and plant compound in Shore Road car park, Bonchurch and a smaller, welfare only, compound in Wheelers Bay car park, Ventnor.
The risk management works, in the form of stripping back the esplanade and slowly excavating to a depth of approximately three metres, in each proposed borehole location, was deemed necessary due to the presence of a Southern sewerage main and potentially additional unmarked services embedded within the esplanade.
Boreholes
Once they have established a safe working environment, they’ll drill boreholes to a depth of 15 metres. The recovered cores will enable the project team to understand the presence of voiding, the makeup of the coastal defences and the bedrock beneath.
Intrusive investigation of the defences, fronting the Bonchurch Cliffs, will potentially take place later in the scheme development, dependent upon the results derived from the trial dewatering scheme, being undertaken above Ventnor’s Western Cliffs.
Phase 1: Above Western Cliffs: Trial dewatering borehole
All of the ground water monitoring boreholes have now been successfully drilled and the monitoring equipment is now placed within each of the wells.
As a result, the EA will be reducing the size of the working compound, re-opening the upper terrace in the vicinity of the Diplodocus Labyrinth and making good the working area.
Lower terrace remains closed
The lower terrace will remain closed whilst a decision is taken on when to progress with phase 2, the trial ground water extraction tests.
The site welfare and plant compound will remain in La Falaise car park compound whilst the coastal ground investigation works in Wheelers Bay are taking place.
The site will be removed ahead of the Easter break.
Check the website
Whilst the ground investigations are taking place, the EA will update their website on a weekly basis so that you are always aware of our most up to date programme. The dates may well change, either because of the information collected or because of adverse weather.
Another update will be published on 25th January 2024.
News shared by Lottie on behalf of the Environment Agency. Ed
