COWLEY BRIDGE CULVERTS INSTALLED

A NEW flood relief culvert has been installed by Network Rail engineers at Cowley Bridge, north of Exeter.

Flooding in the Cowley area has been a longstanding problem for the railway, frequently leading to closures of the line. A total of 24 culvert units, each weighing around 14 tonnes, have been installed to divert flood water back into the river Exe and help prevent water levels from rising and closing the railway.

Flood alleviation work: a culvert being dug at Cowley Bridge Junction on 12 June 2018, the first day of a three-day blockade.
David Mitchell

The work is one of a number of schemes under the Department for Transport’s £26.5 million Flood Resilience Programme. NR says work will continue at Cowley Bridge until the end of the year as an existing culvert is enlarged.