New sea gates to be floated into Sharpness Docks

4 March 2010

A set of massive sea gates is being installed at Sharpness Docks to replace the original steel guardians which have given safe passage to craft and held back the might of the sea for over 50 years.

The gates, each of which weighs in at 70 tonnes, are being floated into Sharpness Docks by tug at the end of their journey from Deest in Holland where they were made.

Project Manager Will Burnish said the £1m project would be a massive undertaking, involving the closure of Sharpness Docks during the operation.

“Both sets of gates will be floated in and out. The first phase of the operation will involve removing the current gates which are 11 metres high and weigh 74 tonnes. This will be carried out over the coming weekend, with the new gates installed during the course of next week,” said Mr Burnish.

The remaining closure period will be used to test their installation.

The new steel gates are designed for buoyancy despite their enormous weight. They will be floated into position by teams of specialist divers working round the clock in conjunction with the tidal cycle.

Once the new gates are in place, their aged counterparts will be loaded on a pontoon floated out of the dock and back to Holland for future refurbishment.

Mr Burnish said the sheer scale of the gates meant the work had to be undertaken by Dutch marine specialists Ravestein.

“These are among the largest gates in British Waterways. In addition to providing access to Sharpness Docks and the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal, they also offer a solid defence against the unpredictable weather in the Severn Estuary,” said Mr Burnish.

“The existing set of gates has guarded the entrance to the docks since 1958 with just minor maintenance and we are hoping for the same length of service out of these,” he added.

ENDS

Media enquiries to: British Waterways Marketing & Communications Manager Michelle Kozomara 01606 723854 & 07917 899222 and John Clayton Media Unit on 01606 723866 & 07754 278511.

British Waterways is the public corporation responsible for the care and enhancement of the nation’s 2,200-mile, two centuries-old network of canals and rivers. We work in partnership with public, private and voluntary sector organisations to realise the full social, environmental and economic potential of the waterways for the benefit of all. www.britishwaterways.co.uk