The flood defence programme represents the first 10 years of a 100 year programme developed by the Environment Agency to protect London and the Thames estuary from current and future tidal flooding through to 2100.

The contract involves the planning, programming, optimisation and delivery of investigation, design, capital maintenance, refurbishment and replacement works on the existing tidal flood defence assets along the entire 170km length of the Thames estuary.

CH2M Hill will be working alongside their delivery partner, Balfour Beatty and specialist suppliers including Critigen, Hunton Engineering Ltd, KGAL and Qualter Hall.

Paul Leinster, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said: “We are pleased to welcome CH2M Hill as our partner to deliver this vital programme of works to refurbish and update the current flood risk management systems along the Thames Estuary.”

CH2M Hill’s Managing Director for Europe, Mark Thurston, said: “This project is a vital piece of infrastructure that fits closely with our other major programmes in London, including Thames Tideway Tunnel, Crossrail and High Speed 2.

“Not only will this programme help maintain London as a globally competitive city, it also provides a significant boost to the British engineering sector and the creation of long-term employment in the UK jobs market, with the project requiring skilled engineers throughout the planning, investigation, maintenance and refurbishment works of the next 10 years.

The Thames Estuary Asset Management Programme will be made up of capital works, including:

• Major refurbishment works of fixed assets, such as tidal walls and embankments;
• Refurbishing works of active assets (including major flood barriers)
• New assets such as pumping stations;
• Capital renewals and replacements;
• Packages of major or complex maintenance works, such as repairing long lengths or fixed flood defence walls or subsidence of earth embankments.