Government funding and new bridges to deal with flooding

The Birmingham Post has reported that £300,000 funding package to tackle flooding in Birmingham after the Government unveiled £300,000 for Birmingham as part of £9.7 million awarded to 77 local authorities across England. The money was awarded where the risk and impact of surface water flooding could be highest and it will help to prevent river overflow and surface water which caused flooding in Birmingham in 2008.

The money is welcome alongside work the city council will be undertaking to reduce the likelihood of flooding on Dogpool Lane in Selly Park which was the scene of serious flooding in September 2008.

The images below, reproduced from sellyparksouth.org.uk, show the flooding that affected the Dogpool Lane bridge in September 2008 which was a result of the large volume of water and the supports that were installed under the bridge in the early 1990s to increase the weight the bridge can carry affecting the flow of water under the bridge.

http://sellyparksouth.org.uk/images/web_photos/N03.jpg
http://sellyparksouth.org.uk/images/web_photos/N6.jpg

As a result of the flooding the city council's highways department are planning a replacement of the Dogpool Lane bridge which will allow for an increased weight limit but will also reduce the risk of flooding by removing the earlier 1990s supports. The replacement bridge is intended to be clad in red bricks to be in character with local buildings but the design will have to be approved by the Environment Agency who will use their computer model of the River Rea to ensure the new bridge will not have any effects on flooding further down the river's route.


Work is expected to start in January 2010 and will last for approximately 9 months. Vehicle diversions will take place but a temporary bridge for pedestrians and cyclists is planned.

More details can be found on the Selly Park South blog and local councillor Robert Wright's website.


http://sellyparksouth.blogspot.com/2009/05/flood-resilience-in-selly-park-south.html



http://blog.robertwright.org.uk/2009/06/dogpool-lane-bridge-replacement.html