Nearly 200 metres of flood defences will be improved as part of a £36.5 million project by the Environment Agency.
The Environment Agency will begin essential work to repair damaged flood defences along Bankside to improve protection for more than 60,000 homes and businesses in the city that are at risk of flooding from the River Hull.
Following an extensive review of the condition of Hulls existing river defences, the Environment Agency and structural experts identified 39 sites along the River Hull that are at risk of failing within the next two years.
The improvements mean that there will be no through access for motorists and commuters from Clough Road to Air Street, and vice versa. Businesses in the area will remain open as usual, and motorists are able to continue to access them on either side.
The public footpath at the intersecting railway bridge will also be closed to pedestrians, cyclists and motorists from Monday 19 February until the beginning of May.
Commuters in Hull and the East Riding are being urged to plan ahead this spring as the essential flood defence work takes place. Motorists traveling from the north of the city are advised to use Clough Road and Beverley Road and those traveling from the south should consider Stoneferry Road (A1165) as an alternative route.
Work started in April 2017 and to date the Environment Agency has been able to successfully complete nearly a third of the total work on these priority sites from a combination of the land and temporary structures on the river with minimal impact to city residents.
Brendan Sharkey, Environment Agency project manager on the River Hull Defences Scheme said: We have greatly appreciated the cooperation of the businesses operating on and along the river over the past few months, but we now need the support of the public to help us deliver this multi-million pound scheme which will better protect thousands of homes and businesses in Hull from flooding.
The work will involve operating very large cranes and heavy equipment which will sit on Bankside while the Environment Agencys contractors, BMM JV a joint venture between BAM Nuttall and Mott MacDonald, build the improved flood defences.
Brendan continued: We are aware of the disruption the work at Bankside will cause commuters and we are working with our partners to progress the work as efficiently as possible, but we need to be realistic about how long this complex river work may take.
We want to advise commuters to start planning ahead now and be prepared for congestion at peak times in the city. Where possible, alternative travel routes and methods should also be considered.
Ninety-five per cent of Hull stands on a natural flood plain and it has the highest number of properties at risk of flooding in a single urban area outside London.
Over the years the city has been affected by several significant river and coastal flood events and on 25 June, 2007, Hull City Council reported more than 9,000 homes and businesses were flooded when heavy rains covered the city.
Following the initial closure at Bankside, two sections of Wincolmlee will also be closed for set periods of times the over the subsequent nine months to prepare the foundations for a further 310 metres of flood defence.
Work on the 39 priority sections of the River Hull Defences Scheme is set to be complete by end of 2019. Following the road closures at Bankside and Wincolmlee, the foundations will have been laid for 75 percent of this work in the city*.
The timeline of the three road closures is as follows:
Bankside closure – 19/02/18 – 02/05/18
Wincolmlee (North) closure – 03/05/18 – 03/07/18
Wincolmlee (South) closure – 06/07/18 – 04/09/18