300-tonne gate arrives at Boston flood barrier, UK
A 300-tonne tidal flood gate has arrived in Lincolnshire, and is being installed as part of the Boston Barrier Tidal Flood Alleviation Scheme.
The rising sector gate has been constructed by Hollandia Infra and shipped by barge from the Netherlands. Contractors, BMMJV, a joint venture made up of BAM Nuttall and Mott McDonald, have driven the 29m wide steel structure into place.
Major milestone
BMMJV project manager Steve Lowder said: ‘The arrival of the barrier is a major milestone for the project. We have been working around the clock to get to this point and look forward to successfully completing the next steps of the scheme downstream.’
Once operational, the 25m wide gate can be raised at a tidal surge by two hydraulic rams either side.
Bypass channel
Both the barrier commissioning and infill of the bypass channel will begin in the New Year. It is anticipated that the barrier will be ready for full operation by summer 2020.
The Boston Barrier project is a partnership between the Environment Agency, Lincolnshire County Council, Boston Borough Council and Black Sluice Internal Drainage Board.
The 100 million UK pound project is a key part of the Boston Combined Strategy which, once all works are complete, will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to more than 14,000 properties in Boston.
