Dredging Briefing 33 Rivers Parrett and Tone Dredging Project 10 October 2014 In this issue Progress over the last week Update on progress this week Road and footpath closures and diversions See what footpaths and roads we have to divert or close so we can complete our dredging work Local asset repairs Update on other local flood defence repairs on the Somerset Moors and Levels How we'll keep you updated on progress Where you'll find the latest information Forward look What's happening over the next couple of weeks Progress over the last week We have 7 gangs working. This weekend 3 land based excavators will substantially complete the dredge of the River Tone. On the River Parrett 2 floating excavators will be working outside Saltmoor Pumping Station and outside Ham Lawn Farm. We will review whether we can use the amphibious machines depending upon water levels in the rivers. We have so far removed approximately 120,000m³ of silt. We have just 0.5km of river (1km of total river bank length) left to dredge and remain on programme to complete work by the end of October. This week's visual update of the dredge can be found at: www.facebook.com/environmentagencywessex Back to top Road and footpath closures and diversions The West Yeo Road will reopen on Monday 13 October between Saltmoor Pumping Station and Myrtle Tree Cottage. If you have any questions about the work this weekend please contact Land and Water on 07967461175. We are awaiting permission to close the Huntworth Lane (not West Yeo Road as mentioned last week) at New House Farm for 1 week. We hope this will come into force next week (w/k commencing 13 October). We will use our Facebook page and @EnvAgencySW twitter account to confirm when the closure is starting. Or you can call Wayne Hobbs from Team Van Oord on 07809 446315 if you are unsure whether the road is open. When the closure comes into force the road will be closed from 7am until 7pm from Monday to Friday. This is in order to restore the flood defence to the design level where the River Parrett overtopped during the winter floods. We will be piling the river bank followed by the construction of a pile cap. We will try to open the road as soon as possible and move to a traffic light managed option to try to minimise disruption. The road closure along Riverside remains in place. We are now completing piling work between Samways Farm and Shepherds Drove. You can access Riverside from the A361 as far as Samways, otherwise please use the Shepherds Drove Diversion. The road will be on a rolling road closure and closed between 7am and 7pm Monday to Friday. There are now more limited opportunities for us to move our piling machine from the road each day and therefore we can no longer accommodate the midday until 1pm opening. The week commencing 20 October we will be closing Riverside at Moorland House in order to complete piling and wall raising. We will try our best to ensure that the piling works further upstream on Riverside are completed by this time, however there may be a few days overlap where both sections of road are closed and there is no through route on turning right out of Shepherds Drove. We will keep you updated on plans for this work. Please call Wayne Hobbs from Team Van Oord on 07809 446315 for further information. Pedestrian and bicycle access will always be available but you may have to bear with us whilst we make sure it is safe to walk through. Please pass this message on to those who will be affected by this closure and may not receive our briefing notes. Back to top Forward look Over the next couple of weeks: . Floating and amphibious excavators will be working on the River Parrett between Burrowbridge and Saltmoor, between Ham Lawn Farm and Moorland House Farm, downstream of Westonzoyland Pumping Station, and completing works on the confluence of the rivers. . We will hold another Wednesday drop-in at Gillards (Samways Farm) from 16:30 until 18:30. Look for the Land and Water sign on Riverside, Burrowbridge. We may cancel the last few dropins before the end of the dredging project if the demand continues to fall. Back to top Local asset repairs As well as completing the dredge, we are repairing local 'assets' like river banks, pumping stations, sluices, gates and coastal flood defences that were damaged in the floods. These repairs include work mentioned in the 20 year plan for the Somerset levels and Moors. We continue to make good progress with the piling on Riverside in Burrowbridge. We are now on site at Northmoor Pumping Station and Saltmoor Pumping Station. This week we will be starting bank repairs on the River Parrett between Northmoor Pumping Station and Screech Owl. Back to top How we'll keep you updated on progress Weekly updates will be sent to our partners, district and county councillors and parish councils for wider dissemination. We are also putting the latest weekly updates on the Environment Agency's website. We are piloting a designated Wessex Facebook page where we will be posting frequent updates, alongside continuing to use our @EnvAgencySW Twitter account. Back to top Part of the Somerset Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan Share: Follow: Contact us Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Email us or Telephone 03708 506 506 If you would like to be added to the distribution list to receive these updates directly, please email and we will add you.