Contract awarded for ‘English Riviera’ resilience

The company has been given a contract as part of a £150 million (€174 million) scheme to protect a coastal railway and cliffs in Devon, southwest England, which is sometimes known as the ‘English Riviera’.

BAM is currently building a new sea wall at the town of Dawlish, where it has installed a link bridge and stilling basin, and the cliff protection work will begin after that is completed.

”BAM Nuttall has begun ground investigation works and site surveys along the 1km stretch to inform the detailed design of the scheme,” the company says. “It is also seeking agreement for land access and consents for the work, which is expected to start in sproing 2023 and last one year.

“The resisience measures will include netting designed to retain the cliffs in some high-risk locations, and catch gences in others, which will stop any cliff material ebfore it reaches the railway.”

“Since the infamous storms washed away the railway in Dawlish in February 2014, BAM is proud to have played a vital part in the restoration and safeguarding of the vital south-western route on behalf of Network Rail and the SWRRP,” said Huw Jones, BAM Nuttall managing director, Transport.