Overview:
Southend-on-Sea City Council commissioned Marlborough Highways to erect a walkway, 500m out from Chalkwell Beach, to replace the damaged Crowstone Footbridge, which is situated halfway along the Old Hard Cockle Path on the Essex coast. The new construction provides walkers and swimmers with safe access to the channels and allows the Chalkwell Lifeguards Club to reach the water at low tide when they need to undertake essential rescue training.
The Challenge
Situated between Leigh-on-Sea and Westcliff, Chalkwell Beach is a popular location for walkers and swimmers in Southend-on-Sea in Essex. Backed by a promenade and overlooking the Thames Estuary, the sandy beach and nearby coastal channels are a haven for nesting birds and marine wildlife. During low tide, when a wide area of mud and shingle is revealed, the quarter mile long ‘Old Hard Cockle Path’ is accessible. Here there is a bridge over a small muddy creek, that has existed for at least 80 years, and in recent decades has been used by day-trippers and the local lifeguard to access the waters when the tide is out. Over time the structure fell into disrepair and became dangerous, with rotting timber, missing walkway planks and unstable foundations.
The bridge needed to be replaced by an attractive, modern, and robust walkway, that offered more grip and could be used safely by the lifeguard and the public. The project was subject to the complexities of unpredictable sea and weather conditions and given the historic importance and biodiversity of the area, it was vital that construction was carried out with the upmost consideration for the natural environment. It was necessary for works to be completed quickly and to the highest standard, with the safety of beach users and site personnel the number one priority.
The Solution
Marlborough has considerable coastal engineering experience, offering expertise in a variety of specialist construction methods. Liaising closely with Southend-on-Sea City Council and the design team, Marlboough refined and improved the technical plans, before creating a cost-effective schedule, which took into account tidal times and included contingencies for bad weather. Throughout the project, it was necessary for Marlborough to communicate regularly with Natural England, as the organisation responsible for a preservation order in the works area.
During a pre-works survey, it was discovered that some of the original pile foundations could be reused, meaning less material was needed to be brought onsite. With the works area accessible for just five hours a day, supplies and equipment had to be transported on and off the beach quickly and efficiently, while causing minimum disruption to beach users. And by completing much of the prefabbing off-site, it allowed for new steel beams and whole sections of a durable GRP Mesh material to be installed to budget and to time. Throughout the works, extreme care was taken to ensure that marine and bird wildlife remained undisturbed, this included the use of sustainable materials and the employment of environmentally friendly construction methods.
The new walkway is now enjoyed by the local community and visitors alike, with the stylish and contemporary design complimenting the natural environment.
Fact File
Client Southend-on-Sea City Council
Date April – May 2022
Duration 2 weeks
Value £49,000
Project
- Removal and safe disposal of damaged timber boards and corroded steel beams
- Cutting of existing foundation piles to new level
- Installation of new steel I-beams
- The adding of custom-made galvanised steel pile caps with top hat to secure the new steel beams
- Fitting of GRP Mesh sheeting
Team
- 1 full time Project Manager
- 1 x Trainee Supervisor
- 5 x Marlborough operatives across all trades
Client savings
- Marlborough commissioned the plans directly with a preferred partner, ensuring a high-quality, cost-effective design, without the need for the client to liaise with a third party.
- Some of the original pile foundations could be salvaged and reused in the construction of the new walkway, saving money and time.
Quote from client
“Southend City Council, working alongside our Term Service Contractor Marlborough Highways, successfully completed recent renovations to the Crowstone Footbridge. The design of the renovations were provided by Marlborough, and the work unique, given that the location of the footbridge is approximately 300m away from the seawall and out into the Estuary. Once consents to work were given the scheme was completed to budget and ahead of its programme duration.”
Neil Handley, Senior Engineer, Southend-on-Sea City Council
“One of the things I value most is their very collaborative and transparent team culture. It makes a big difference to have a contractor that wants to work closely with us and is supportive and responsive. With Marlborough, I get a team who are attentive, work collaboratively and honestly with me and don’t lose focus on delivering first class communications and compliance.”
“From the design stage, Marlborough has been fundamental in delivering the Broad Lane Square improvements scheme. During the works, not only did the team manage to keep to the programme, but they went the extra mile to ensure attention to detail and came up with innovative solutions to address issues encountered on site. My thanks on behalf of Haringey goes out to Marlborough for their dedication to deliver.”
“Working alongside our Term Service Contractor Marlborough Highways, we successfully completed renovations to the Crowstone Footbridge. The designs were provided by Marlborough, and the work was unique. The scheme was completed to budget and ahead of its programme duration.”
“I would like to thank you and your team for your efforts, the Marlborough crews were professional, courteous, and hard working all day and ensured the event went without a hitch. You and the team were a credit to the company, demonstrating commitment and support to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham.”
“I just wanted to say what a pleasure it has been to work with Marlborough Highways over the last six months. The quality of work is superb, and there has been some excellent collaboration between Milestone and Marlborough to complete, what at times, has been quite a challenging scheme. I hope to work with Marlborough on another project in the near future.”
“Marlborough worked with us in constructing a 1.3km cycle track. There were a number of technical difficulties to overcome, and their gifted foreman worked to propose some innovative solutions to the challenges we faced. The result is a facility that the locals are proud of, providing walkers and cyclists with alternative access to the hospital and nearby school. The scheme was a lot of hard work, but well worth it.”
“Marlborough attracts people who take care and have pride in their work. Several gangs of Operatives worked tirelessly for six months to reconstruct drainage networks, lay more than 3km of high quality bespoke granite kerbs and granite channels blocks to ensure positive drainage. The technical compliance, attention to detail and level of quality finish along the entire carriageway was exceptional”.
“We saw huge benefits in appointing Marlborough as our full service contractor and we’re impressed – they’ve delivered consistent high quality service and superior quality control across every project. Marlborough, provide us with a ‘one-stop’ shop solution – we get the same quality of service and better control across all aspects of the project.”
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