Work at Les Banques should future-proof wall
Work to the sea defences along Les Banques which has badly held up rush-hour traffic this week should future-proof the wall for another 15 to 20 years.
Work began on Monday and is set to continue until Tuesday 28 January, with traffic being managed by manual traffic lights to reduce build up as much as possible.
Engineers are working on the apron – the section that sticks out at the bottom of the wall – and are having to work around the tides.
The sheet piles installed to the apron are thought to have been installed in the 1960s or 1970s.
‘What we’re doing is spraying concrete to stabilise the wall. If it doesn’t get stabilised then eventually the sea wall would collapse on to the beach, which would cause issues with the road,’ said States infrastructure officer Marco Tersigni.
‘This is part of our routine maintenance. People think it’s something out of the blue, but we have a three-year maintenance programme.
‘There shouldn’t need to be any more work on this section of wall in the near future, perhaps further up, but this needed to be addressed immediately.’
Concrete is being sprayed underneath the apron and then a metal mesh is put in front, and then sprayed again to create a flat finish.
Geomarine is contracted to do the work, and UK company Sprayed Concrete Solutions has been subcontracted for the spraying work.
The first phase is almost complete, and the second phase is due to start next week.
At times, machinery has been positioned on the pavements as part of the work, disrupting access for pedestrians, adding to the need for temporary traffic lights.
‘We’ve got traffic management here. There’s always going to be disruption for something like this, but we're trying to keep it to a minimum.
'The worst time will always be the morning and evening rush hour,’ said Mr Tersigni.
‘Ultimately we have to keep the contractors and the public safe.’
