River Hull tidal surge barrier
River Hull tidal surge barrier | |
---|---|
Country | England |
Location | Kingston upon Hull |
Coordinates | 53°44′20″N 0°19′48″W / 53.739°N 0.330°W |
Purpose | Flood control |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | January 1977 |
Opening date | 15 April 1980 |
Construction cost | £4.3 million (1980) |
Designed by | Shankland Cox Partnership |
Owner(s) | Environment Agency |
Dam and spillways | |
Type of dam | Tidal surge barrier |
Impounds | River Hull |
The River Hull tidal surge barrier is a flood control gate located on the
The barrier was opened in 1980, and since then, has closed over 30 times as a preventative measure during tidal surges. A proposed lagoon to control tidal flooding in the Humber Estuary would render the River Hull non-tidal. The barrier was
History
The need for the barrier arose after severe flooding of the city from a tidal surge in 1969.
Construction on the barrier was started in January 1977, with projected opening date of August 1979, however, difficulties in the building phase led to schedule slipping. The barrier was opened on 15 April 1980 by Dennis Matthews, chairman of the
In 2010, the barrier was refurbished during a 40-day work period with maintenance being carried out some 98 feet (30 m) in the air. The £10 million work was completed in October 2010.[17]
Writing in The Buildings of England; Yorkshire : York and the East Riding, David Neave said that it was; "..an elegant arch..." and "at night when the glazed staircases to each tower are illuminated, it is a prominent landmark."
Flooding history
Since the barrier was installed in 1980, it has been closed on average once a month every year.[19]
- 1657, a tidal surge left the city under 4 feet 11 inches (1.5 m) of water[20]
- September 1966, 16.7 feet (5.09 m) tide[21]
- 29 September 1969, 16.72 feet (5.10 m)[22]
- January 2005, 15.9 feet (4.8 m) tide[23]
- November 2011, 16 feet (4.9 m) tide[24]
- December 2013, Storm Xaver produced a tide of 19 feet (5.8 m)[25]
Lagoon Hull proposal
In 2019, a proposal to build a lagoon in the Humber Estuary was unveiled. This would involve making the River Hull non-tidal, but no mention was made in the proposal about the River Hull Barrier.[26]
Notes
References
- ^ "Protection against flooding of 1969". infoweb.newsbank.com. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Fleming, McMillan & Williams 1980, pp. 417–418.
- .
- ^ "City of Hull Engineering Walk". Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE). 5 February 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Tidal Surge Barrier, River Hull (Grade II) (1446522)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
- ISBN 0-7277-3150-5.
- ISSN 1749-4435.
- ISSN 1741-3419.
- ^ "Hull's iconic tidal warrior – Flashback Focus". infoweb.newsbank.com. 20 April 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Barrier prevents floods ten times a year". infoweb.newsbank.com. 26 January 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ISSN 0043-8405.
- ISBN 978-81-203-3384-0.
- ^ "The Hull Tidal Barrier, Hull | RIBA". RIBApix. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-300-09593-7.
- ^ "Tidal gate work at halfway point". BBC News. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "To put you in the picture, here are a few statistics". infoweb.newsbank.com. 19 September 2000. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Hull flood barrier work completed". BBC News. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Hull City of Culture: The City Speaks lights up tidal barrier". BBC News. 2 February 2017.
- ^ "Hull flood barrier work completed". BBC News. 1 October 2010. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "The Geological Society of London – Models and flooding". www.geolsoc.org.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Fleming, McMillan & Williams 1980, p. 417.
- ^ "Hull (Flooding) – Friday 12 December 1969 – Hansard – UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ "Barrier saves city from flooding". BBC News. 13 January 2005. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Hull tidal barrier saves city from record 4.9m high tides". BBC News. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ "Tides hit record levels in Hull". ITV News. 5 December 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
- ISSN 0307-7683.
Sources
- Fleming, J. H.; McMillan, P. H.; Williams, B. P. (August 1980). "The River Hull Tidal Surge Barrier". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers. 68 (3): 417–454. .