A new 45-metre-long culvert will need to be installed in Fore Street in Kingsbridge to replace the existing culvert.
Our latest site investigations have highlighted several complex issues which need to be resolved in order to progress the scheme. However, we cannot say exactly how long the scheme will take to complete due to the amount of existing services under the road.
The scheme area needs to be “de-watered”, by isolating it from the incoming tides and two underground watercourses. In order to do this, a series of pumps have been installed which are removing water from the system and a new manhole has been created.
Emergency plans are in place to protect the area from flooding should the pumps break down, and a specialist team will be on site to make repairs. Replacement equipment is also available.
A deep excavation of around 2 – 2.5 metres below road level is needed for the new culvert, and some of it will need to be excavated by hand due to the volume and position of services.
Councillor Dan Thomas, Cabinet Member for Highways, said:
“The existing culvert is in such poor condition that it needs to be completely replaced, otherwise it could lead to more voids under the road which would see utility services and the road collapsing into the culvert.
“What was initially thought to be a collapsed section of culvert has opened a Pandora’s box of issues beneath Fore Street. We’re sorry for the ongoing disruption but with so many services to contend with and to work around, this project is anything but straight forward. Sadly, it’s taking longer than anyone would have wanted but please bear us. Above all else we must take great care to ensure that work is carried out without accidentally creating any additional problems, but the installation of a new culvert is essential.
“The excavation will be an extremely complex operation which has been likened to threading a needle due to the sheer quantity of services in the area. At this stage it’s impossible to provide an accurate timeframe for how long this work will take.
“We’re sorry that it means disruption will be ongoing. Even if three to four metres of culvert was installed per week, allowing for connections, service diversions, and highway reinstatement, we’re possibly looking at least a further 20 weeks on site.”
Temporary traffic lights are due to be removed for the Easter weekend (between Friday 3 April and Monday 6 April) and then reinstated on the Tuesday morning (7 April) to allow for the continuation of the scheme.
Road surface material over an exposed South West Water (SWW) sewer within the scour hole outside of Peacocks has been removed.
Starting at the upstream end, teams will carefully work their way downstream installing the new culvert around and under existing services, making connections into the new culvert, and filling in the existing culvert where the alignment needs to deviate. Two further new manholes will be installed, along with the new culvert.