Media centre

Friday 13 Feb 2004

NETWORK RAIL PUTS NATURE FIRST

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Network Rail and Edmund Nuttall Ltd have joined forces as part of the North West Structures Alliance in a project to stabilise the sea wall on the Holyhead to Chester line next to Conwy Castle on a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The work took six weeks to complete and cost £130,000, the project involved a number of complex procedures to ensure the surrounding areas were preserved. As this was a SSSI project special consideration was given to the mussel beds below tide level, which could not be damaged in anyway. This was tackled by staff working off a cradle suspended from temporary scaffolding erected on the quay wall and from a barge on the river, which was also used to transport all materials to the site, ensuring no harm came to the mussel beds. The essential repair work involved, filling cavities in the sea wall using spray concrete in which the pattern of the wall was marked out. This created a high quality finish, which is strong and looks superb. The Scheme Project Manager of Network Rail, Jackie Miller said: "This scheme demonstrates how the structures alliance works at its best. The construction team used in-house spray concrete resource to repair the quay wall and retaining wall in an environmentally sensitive area. This required an imaginative approach to carrying out the work, which involved working off scaffolding and a barge. All work was completed to time and within budget despite having to transport all materials across water. The end product is both high quality and robust."