7:00pm Friday 14th August 2009
By Melanie Vass
BOSCOMBE’S long-awaited surf reef will enter its final construction phase next week and is on track to be completed in September.
Now that the reef is in place, workers from ASR are fine-tuning the underwater structure, including topping up the bags and checking that the reef complies exactly with the original design.
ASR will also remove temporary anchors and red buoys and undertake a final survey of the completed reef.
Shaw Mead, ASR’s technical director, said: “Like any major construction project, there are extensive checks to be undertaken before we can say the project is complete.
“We are now starting to make all those checks thoroughly and according to the agreed specification, and I remain confident that we will finish in September as scheduled.”
The problematic reef project has been beset with delays, caused by poor weather conditions.
The confirmation that it will meet its September deadline will have left many councillors and officers relieved.
Cllr Beverley Dunlop, cabinet member for leisure and tourism, said: “I am very pleased that the construction of Europe’s innovative first artificial surf reef is progressing according to plan.
“I look forward to hearing that the project can be officially declared complete next month – that’s when I’ll be booking my surf lessons.”
The team has also begun to shut down the land-based construction site, dismantling their pipelines and equipment into containers, removing containers from the beach and flattening the surplus mound of sand.
This means that much of the beach area used for construction should be back in use for next week’s air festival.
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