Official opening ceremony warms the cockles
Phase 4 of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme officially opened
Our Phase 4 at Eastern Road was officially unveiled with a fabulous little ceremony on Friday, 6 December. This marked the finishing touches to the landscaping and the official naming of Cockleshell Island.
Although the coastal footpath opened in September, there were still a few areas cordoned off for seeding and tree planting.
The completed phase of the flood defence scheme now boasts 2.1km of full-height flood defence wall, 380m of flood glass defence wall, two raised slipways, and various environmental enhancements.
The construction of the new ‘bird island’ led to a naming competition, with Cockleshell Island chosen as the winner among over 240 entries.
The Portsmouth Lord Mayor, Cllr Jason Fazackarley, presented certificates to the 4 local winners before cutting the ceremonial ribbon across the coastal path.
A special appearance by the Portsmouth Shantymen added a touch of maritime flair to the festivities.
Portsmouth City Council Leader, Cllr Steve Pitt, commended the North Portsea Coastal Scheme team for their hard work in completing this phase along Eastern Road.
Rocking the collaboration
Delivery of surplus rock from the Southsea Coastal Scheme
In true collaboration style between the Southsea and North Portsea Coastal Scheme we have started to move 1000 m3 surplus rock from Southsea up to Ports Creek. In the image you can see the area being excavated in preparation for the rock to be placed. To the right you can see a stretch of so-called ‘geotextile’, a layer of this is placed below to stabilise the rocks and prevent sediments rising and creating an unstable base.
Peronne Road footbridge closure
We now have confirmation that the Peronne Road footbridge will be closed from 9am on 2 January 2025 to allow for the construction of the temporary overpass until 12 January 2025 at the latest. We are hoping that completion will be earlier than that, but will keep you informed as soon as we know.
Following this closure, the overpass will remain in place for the duration of the project, allowing site traffic to move east to west, whilst maintaining pedestrian access to the footbridge.
Keep an eye out for our info boards and signage near the footbridge for more details and official diversion routes.
First temporary overpass almost finished!
The temporary overpass at London Rd is now nearing final completion.
If you take a look at the picture above, you can see the bright yellow footbridge that’s been put in place. We’re also working on a similar overpass for the Peronne Road footbridge.
When using the footbridge over London Road, you’ll have the option to turn left or right. If you turn left, you’ll be directed along the west side of the Portsbridge roundabout carpark, where you can then join the path along Ports Creek or the subway under the motorway.
The new overpass will make it safe for pedestrians to use the shorter informal diversion routes in the new year whilst we construct the flood defences. This will help keep our construction and delivery vehicles separate from pedestrian traffic, so everyone can move around safely and with minimal disruption. The formal and informal diversion routes will be signposted online and on our information boards.
