Boston has a history of tidal flooding and is at significant risk from further events in the future. The Environment Agency (EA) has responded to this challenge with the £124m Boston Barrier scheme, which is set to reduce the tidal flood risk from a 1 in 50 to a 1 in 300 chance of occurring in any given year for 100 years.
KEY INFORMATION
Location: Boston, United Kingdom
Date started: 2014
Completion date: 2022
Client type: infrastructure
Main capabilities: controls and performance, cost and commercial management, procurement and supply chain, programme advisory, project management
Protecting homes
The barrier project involves two main elements: the primary barrier and secondary vertical sector gates. The primary barrier, a 300 tonne, 25m wide rising sector gate, became operational in December 2020, meaning more than 13,700 properties are now better protected from the risk of tidal surges.
We have been part of the scheme since the very early stages. Initially commissioned to offer cost management services, our appointment was expanded to include project management services at the beginning of the project preliminary design stage in 2014. We then expanded our service to include project control functions such as planning and risk management.
Local boost
The project is the largest UK flood defence scheme currently in construction. Timely delivery of the project provides a transformational impact on the area’s potential by protecting over 800 businesses and 14,000 homes, and delivering benefits of more than £1.1bn to the UK taxpayer.
Our team also helped to promote trade within the local area. A total of 75 percent of the supply chain for the Boston Barrier is UK-based and the project team has worked hard to promote this, using local suppliers for consumables and small hand tools.
The project has also achieved an ‘Excellent’ CEEQUAL sustainable performance assessment, which is based on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
