The job marks yet another success for the four-way joint venture partnership between Van Oord, Kier Group, Mackley Construction and Royal HaskoningDHV in the flood defence sector.

Work will focus on deepening the city’s main flood relief channel to reduce flood risk to 3,000 homes.

The contractor will also lower a key spill weir at the top of Trew’s flood relief channel and removing a ‘check weir’ at the bottom of the channel.

Other improvements include the construction of a meandering stream through the centre of the flood relief channel, construction of fish passes on Trew’s weir plus a low level pedestrian access across the middle of the flood relief channel.

Large dumper trucks will be used to remove excavated material from the flood relief channel. The material will be temporarily stored on Bromham’s Farm playing field then re-used during phase two of the project. This will help reduce construction traffic bringing in new material.

Work on phase 2 is planned to start in Autumn 2015.

Designs for the second phase are still being finalised and the Environment Agency and its partners are planning exhibitions in July to share the latest plans with people.

Exeter suffered from severe flooding in 1960 when over 1,000 properties were flooded
twice within a few months and the city was cut in half.

A major flood alleviation scheme was subsequently designed and built (1965 to 1977)
to defend the city against similar floods.