We’re pleased with how wall work has gone (From Worcester News)

We’re pleased with how wall work has gone

6:00am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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WORKS to rebuild a crumbling retaining wall in Worcester have gone well and will finish on time, according to engineers.

Concerns were raised about the 11ft (3.4m) high wall next to London Road when it started bellying out in the middle, leading to the closure of the footpath.

A long-running legal dispute ensued between Worcestershire County Council and people living in St Catherine’s Hill, which is the other side of the brickwork, over who should fix the wall.

However, the county council eventually accepted responsibility for repairs and started controlled demolition of the crumbling wall at the end of July.

The £400,000 contract has gone to schedule, with damaged sections completely replaced and other areas repointed and reinforced.

Delays to traffic along London Road have not been as bad as first feared by motorists. Engineers are now confident the wall repair will be complete and the footpath reopened in just under two weeks’ time – three years after the pavement was first closed for a length of about 150ft (45m) over safety fears.

Richard Attwood, engineering project manager, said: “The work on the retaining wall between London Road and St Catherine’s Hill is running to schedule and I am very pleased with what has been done so far.

“We are expecting the work to be finished and the site cleared by Monday, September 13.”

We previously reported in your Worcester News that the trees that were taken out because they were too close to the retaining wall will be replaced with evergreen trees planted further back from the wall after agreement from homeowners in St Catherine’s Hill.