The A374 Embankment Road is the main artery through which visitors to Plymouth and commuters from the east of the city enter the city centre. Adjacent to Embankment Road on its north side lies key railway infrastructure including the main Great Western rail line and the Laira rail traction and rolling stock maintenance depot, a strategically important repair and maintenance facility for the railway, whilst to the south is the Plym Estuary.
Rising sea levels mean that in the future the properties at risk of flooding (including strategic road and rail transport links) are likely to be flooded more frequently. It is predicted that by 2050 the flooding of Embankment Road could occur about once a year.
The MRN scheme will reduce the flooding on the rail route which could otherwise prevent mainline trains travelling from Plymouth towards Exeter, and effectively cut off Plymouth and Cornwall from mainline rail services.
The proposed works will be a continuation of the Phase 1 Arnold’s Point Flood Alleviation project, which saw the installation of a 110m long and 4.81m high flood wall in 2015 to protect the lowest section along Embankment Road.
Glass wall options are being considered to protect the views across the Plym Estuary and the scheme is being developed in conjunction with the Environment Agency.
The proposed scheme will significantly reduce the likelihood of flooding incidents on Embankment Road, which currently cause major disruption to the MRN, and protect residential and commercial properties as well as the transport infrastructure, preventing Plymouth and Cornwall being cut off from national rail services using the mainline track.