Uploaded November 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Tarmac Contracting and National Road Paving helped improve flood protection at the Ironbridge world heritage site, using precision paving to restore the road surface and deliver a more secure base for future flood defences.
The Wharfage is a road running along the historic Ironbridge
Gorge, just metres from the River Severn. The road is regularly at
risk of flooding during winter months. In February 2020 Storm Dennis, triggered some of the highest recorded water levels on the River Severn. This caused the temporary, seasonal flood defences to move, allowing water through and meaning that 35 properties nearby had to be evacuated. Movement in the flood defences also causes damage to the surface of the road. After a detailed review of alternative flood prevention measures it was decided that, given the status of Ironbridge as a world heritage site and popular tourist destination, temporary barriers were still the best option. However additional funding was provided
for improvements and upgrades to help improve future resilience and protect surrounding homes and businesses.
Project scope and Planning
The new road surface would need to perform a dual purpose. Firstly, it needed to provide a safe, durable all weather surface for local road users and tourist traffic, including those who used it for on street parking in the busy summer months. Secondly in needed to provide a stable base for temporary flood defences over the wet winter months, with a profile and texture that ensured maximum contact and adhesion with the pavement. Work included installing rising main pipework for temporary pumps.
Precision planing and Paving
A 3D model was created, showing the precise profile required to maintain longfall for drainage in normal times and a consistent crossfall profile to provide a sturdy base for the flood defences. Work would need to be completed within a 5mm tolerance of this design. Achieving this would require a combination of high precision road planing by National Road Planing and accurate paving by Tarmac Contracting when installing to
new road surface. Both Tarmac Contracting and NRP were able
to draw on their experience of paving the new Silverstone race circuit, completed in 2019, which required stringent paving standards and close collaboration between delivery partners.
Challenging timescales
Work would need to be completed before the winter months, but
since Ironbridge is a popular tourist location, it was also important that road access was maintained during the busy summer season. This left a narrow operating window of around five weeks to complete the entire programme, with just one week for surfacing operations.
Project delivery
Given the complexity of this project, the importance to future flood prevention, the high level of precision required and the limited time frames; successfully delivering this project required detailed planning and close collaboration between project partners. Site preparation involved removal and plating of around 90 pieces of ironwork which would be reset after surfacing to maintain the new road profile. Surfacing work took place over eight shifts, with cold milling of the old road surface followed by machine laying of the 40mm SMA binder course, further planing to achieve the correct profile, then completion of the SMA surface course with high PSV aggregates for lasting texture, plus addition of speed ramps. Work was completed to within the exacting 5mm tolerance required by the design model and the time allocated in the programme.
Results and benefits
Successful delivery of this scheme has helped to optimise the future performance of flood barriers over the critical autumn and winter months and give the 80 individuals who live and own businesses on
the Wharfage, the best possible protection from flooding. Without this scheme, the viability of the existing defences would have been in question. Ultimately properties will continue to be protected from all but the most extreme river flooding events which occur in the Ironbridge Gorge. The fast, efficient manner in which it was completed also avoided unnecessary disruption of tourism and lost business over the peak summer months.
#ironbridgeroad
#precisionpaving
#tarmacroad
Tarmac Contracting and National Road Paving helped improve flood protection at the Ironbridge world heritage site, using precision paving to restore the road surface and deliver a more secure base for future flood defences.
The Wharfage is a road running along the historic Ironbridge
Gorge, just metres from the River Severn. The road is regularly at
risk of flooding during winter months. In February 2020 Storm Dennis, triggered some of the highest recorded water levels on the River Severn. This caused the temporary, seasonal flood defences to move, allowing water through and meaning that 35 properties nearby had to be evacuated. Movement in the flood defences also causes damage to the surface of the road. After a detailed review of alternative flood prevention measures it was decided that, given the status of Ironbridge as a world heritage site and popular tourist destination, temporary barriers were still the best option. However additional funding was provided
for improvements and upgrades to help improve future resilience and protect surrounding homes and businesses.
Project scope and Planning
The new road surface would need to perform a dual purpose. Firstly, it needed to provide a safe, durable all weather surface for local road users and tourist traffic, including those who used it for on street parking in the busy summer months. Secondly in needed to provide a stable base for temporary flood defences over the wet winter months, with a profile and texture that ensured maximum contact and adhesion with the pavement. Work included installing rising main pipework for temporary pumps.
Precision planing and Paving
A 3D model was created, showing the precise profile required to maintain longfall for drainage in normal times and a consistent crossfall profile to provide a sturdy base for the flood defences. Work would need to be completed within a 5mm tolerance of this design. Achieving this would require a combination of high precision road planing by National Road Planing and accurate paving by Tarmac Contracting when installing to
new road surface. Both Tarmac Contracting and NRP were able
to draw on their experience of paving the new Silverstone race circuit, completed in 2019, which required stringent paving standards and close collaboration between delivery partners.
Challenging timescales
Work would need to be completed before the winter months, but
since Ironbridge is a popular tourist location, it was also important that road access was maintained during the busy summer season. This left a narrow operating window of around five weeks to complete the entire programme, with just one week for surfacing operations.
Project delivery
Given the complexity of this project, the importance to future flood prevention, the high level of precision required and the limited time frames; successfully delivering this project required detailed planning and close collaboration between project partners. Site preparation involved removal and plating of around 90 pieces of ironwork which would be reset after surfacing to maintain the new road profile. Surfacing work took place over eight shifts, with cold milling of the old road surface followed by machine laying of the 40mm SMA binder course, further planing to achieve the correct profile, then completion of the SMA surface course with high PSV aggregates for lasting texture, plus addition of speed ramps. Work was completed to within the exacting 5mm tolerance required by the design model and the time allocated in the programme.
Results and benefits
Successful delivery of this scheme has helped to optimise the future performance of flood barriers over the critical autumn and winter months and give the 80 individuals who live and own businesses on
the Wharfage, the best possible protection from flooding. Without this scheme, the viability of the existing defences would have been in question. Ultimately properties will continue to be protected from all but the most extreme river flooding events which occur in the Ironbridge Gorge. The fast, efficient manner in which it was completed also avoided unnecessary disruption of tourism and lost business over the peak summer months.
#ironbridgeroad
#precisionpaving
#tarmacroad
