The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme is a critical infrastructure project designed to mitigate flood risk in Bridgwater. The state-of-the-art tidal surge barrier will mitigate flood risk, ensuring protection against tidal flooding and significantly enhancing the town's resilience for the future.
KEY INFORMATION
Location: Bridgwater, UK
Date started: 2024
Completion date: ongoing
Client type: infrastructure
Main capabilities: programme advisory, project management
Investing in risk mitigation
The town of Bridgwater, situated in the Somerset Levels and Moors, is amongst the lowest and flattest regions in the UK, making the area particularly vulnerable to flooding. With a section of the river wall in Bridgwater collapsing in 2011, the town was left vulnerable, evident during the 2013 floods.
To mitigate the risk of future flooding, enhance resilience and promote business growth, the Somerset Levels and Moors Flood Action Plan was introduced in 2014. Key to the plan is the construction of the £248m Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme, designed to reduce tidal flood risk and provide protection to 11,300 homes, 1,500 businesses, essential infrastructure and the environment.
Enhancing flood protection
We were appointed by the Environment Agency in 2024 to provide project management capabilities for the Bridgwater Tidal Scheme. The project has four workstreams related to the tidal barrier and operational building, the downstream defences and the fish and eel passages.
Leveraging our expertise in flood protection and environmental resilience across the UK, our teams will provide best practice guidance and shared insights from other major flood protection initiatives we have contributed to including the Millport coastal flood protection scheme.
We have also been able to apply specialist project controls expertise from our work on the Boston Barrier Scheme to the main construction contract evaluation.
Alongside providing our expertise, our team has forged transformative partnerships to support the client staff through advanced technical coaching and mentoring. This helped to significantly enhance the development and capabilities of the client’s workforce.
Protecting the community
Constructed with low-carbon cement and locally sourced materials, the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme is designed with sustainability in mind.
Using industry specialist digital tools to measure, the Scheme has already achieved a 53 percent reduction in embodied carbon. The barrier will be central to preserving the community in the coming decades.
Ross Barton, Project Director at Environment Agency, said:
“Turner & Townsend have become a trusted and valued partner to the Bridgwater Tidal Barrier Scheme. Their depth of experience in flood defence delivery and programme management and the way they place importance on partnership working, has brought real strength to the project.”
From day one, their team have integrated effortlessly, offering technical capability but also providing a proactive and supportive approach to working alongside the Environment Agency and our delivery partners.
“Their insights from other major schemes, combined with a clear commitment to collaboration and sustainability, are helping us deliver a flood defence scheme that also looks to create a resilient, thriving future for Bridgwater and surrounding communities.”
