Diving in to repair historic site
SPECIALIST REPAIR WORK TO BE CARRIED ON RIVER BANKS IN DURHAM CITY
Specialist repair work is set to be carried out in the River Wear.
Divers and specialist equipment will be visible in the river through Durham City centre in the coming weeks as repairs are carried out to a weir.
Durham County Council will be carrying out repairs to Milburngate Weir from Monday for approximately seven weeks.
Work will see steel structures being embedded in the riverbed next to the barrier, which is around 50 metres upstream from Milburngate Bridge.
Concrete, which is suitable for use under water, will also be placed between the steel sheets and the weir as part of the reconstruction work.
The concrete will be pumped from the eastern riverbank, through steel pipes attached to the top of the structure, to fill voids as required.
All the work is being carried out with the full consent of the Environment Agency.
Coun Brian Stephens, cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “We are carrying out this work in order to protect this structure and, as it involves activitiesin water, the use of specialist divers will be required.
“Our partners at the Environment Agency have approved the detail of what we are doing – all of which has been planned to minimise disruption for the wildlife which inhabit the river.”
The council said anglers who fish in the river are being advised that it will be necessary to lower the water level around the weir at times to allow work to take place.
However, they have said every effort will be made to limit the number of times this needs to be done.