It is expected to open to the public ahead of the summer season.
The second section of the new Dawlish sea wall, which will help protect the railway from extreme weather and rising sea levels for generations to come, is due to open at 2pm on Thursday 25 May.
Stretching between Coastguards and Colonnade breakwaters, it is linked to the first section at Marine Parade by a new footbridge, running parallel to the railway viaduct.
Completion of the £80 million Government-funded project means the community and visitors to Dawlish can now enjoy the accessible high-level promenade all the way from Boat Cove to Coastguards footbridge, where it then joins the original sea wall. The beach between Colonnade and Coastguards breakwaters will also reopen to the public now that construction is complete.
Construction began on the second section in November 2020 following completion of the first phase, which runs for 360m alongside Marine Parade and opened to the public in July that year.
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An innovative eight-legged, self-contained walking jack-up barge, known as a 'Wavewalker', was used during the construction - the first time this type of barge was used to upgrade the UK rail network. It allowed the team to work across high tidal ranges that particularly impact the south Devon coastline.
The wall itself was substantially completed in July 2022, when all 164 front panels, 203 pre-cast blocks and 189 recurve units which return waves back out to sea were in place for the second section. This milestone gave the iconic stretch of railway line immediate greater resilience against waves that flood the track, leading to potential closures and delays.
Since then, Network Rail's contractor BAM Nuttall has been working to complete the link bridge, promenade, seating areas, ramped access to the beach and a new stilling basin, where Dawlish Water runs under the viaduct into the sea.
The new section of wall wraps around Dawlish station, where work is continuing to build an accessible footbridge with lifts for passengers.
Although it offers 21st Century protection and full accessibility, the new sea wall features many nods to the town’s history; the footprint of the old Coastguards boathouse is shown on the new promenade, while the wall in front of the station features outlines of the alcoves that previously provided seating. Reclaimed stone from the old wall has been used to create new benches.
The design of the 8m high sea wall, which is 2.5m taller than the previous one, followed years of detailed studies, designs and joint working between world-leading marine, coastal and railway engineering experts. It was developed as part of the South West Rail Resilience Programme, put in place to improve resilience between Exeter and Newton Abbot, after the major storm of 2014.
The entire sea wall project has given the local economy a £15million boost through Network Rail and BAM Nuttall's commitment to using local labour, materials and accommodation, wherever possible.
