VolkerStevin completes first milestone at Northenden Weir
The VolkerStevin team, working alongside the Environment Agency (EA), has completed the first milestone at Northenden Weir with the help of a helicopter.
A helicopter was required due to the location of the weir in South Manchester. It placed 100 one tonne bulk bags full of rocks upstream of the structure to divert water and expose the weir. This will prevent further deterioration and allow inspection and repairs to take place.
Damage to the weir was confirmed earlier this year after masonry blocks were dislodged following last winter’s repeated storms. The EA has been closely monitoring the weir since to ensure that any further deterioration was identified quickly.
“We’ve been monitoring Northenden Weir for months, and unfortunately, it has deteriorated to the point where we couldn’t risk leaving it over winter. We are therefore enacting a robust repair plan and taking decisive action to protect homes, businesses and infrastructure upstream. The work carried out by VolkerStevin was successful and we’re now in position to carry out the next phase of repair works”.
Jamie Dixon Environment Agency
Gary Atkinson, Project Manager at VolkerStevin, said: “Northenden Weir plays a critical part in managing flood risk in this area. By maintaining the upstream water level, the weir ensures the river embankments and walls remain stable enabling these flood defences to continue to protect the local communities.
“It is also an integral asset providing foundation support to significant infrastructure upstream including the Didsbury flood storage reservoir. Successfully completing this milestone marks an important step in ensuring the weir can continue to perform its critical role. This achievement is testament to the close collaboration between our team and the EA, by working together we have delivered this crucial phase safely and efficiently.”