Howard Civil Engineering has been awarded a £1.3m S278 project to realign 500m of the A183 Coast Road for South Tyneside Council, representing our first project award as part of the NEPO public sector framework.

In order to preserve the stretch of A183 Coast Road between Marsden and Whitburn and allow the adjacent cliffs to naturally erode, Howard Civil Engineering is realigning the road 24m west of the existing highway.

This will be the first project on which Howard Civil Engineering has used the HEIC (high energy intelligent compaction) method whilst undertaking earthworks.

Due to the coastal location of this site and its proximity to local wildlife habitats, it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest/Special Area of Conservation. The realignment will result in the removal of some of the habitat that is currently located within the site boundary. However, once the re-aligned road has been constructed, the existing stretch of A183 Coast Road will be removed and the habitat that was lost will be reinstated.

There is also a scheduled monument located to the south of the project, and specialist survey and monitoring works will be undertaken throughout the scheme to ensure there are no adverse effects on the structure while construction works are carried out.

The scheme is likely to benefit the local community by reducing the threat to local residents and users of the coast road and surrounding open space from coastal erosion, and deliver the greatest environmental, social, and economic benefit aligning with the UK Government’s sustainable development principles.