McLaughlin & Harvey has been appointed by PD Ports to deliver major repair and protection works to the South Gare Breakwater at the mouth of the Tees Estuary.

The project will deliver a long-term solution to strengthen the existing breakwater and improve its resilience against future extreme storm events.

South Gare Breakwater plays an important role in protecting the entrance to the Tees Estuary and provides shelter to key infrastructure, including the Grade II listed South Gare Lighthouse and radar assets.

The main construction works will involve strengthening the existing breakwater through the placement of significant quantities of rock armour, together with specially designed precast concrete armour units.

Once complete, the strengthened breakwater will provide greater long-term resilience against storm events, helping to safeguard South Gare Lighthouse and other important assets at the entrance to the Tees Estuary.

We have sourced up to 20,000 tonnes of rock from Rekefjord, in Norway, for the project and will be transporting it across the North Sea to Teesport by barge. The first shipments have arrived on the Tees, marking an important milestone as construction activity gets underway in line with the programme of works.”

Marine logistics form a key part of the delivery strategy, with the majority of rock transported by sea and barge to minimise construction traffic on the local road network and reduce the interface between construction activities and the public.

The project has been procured through the SCAPE Utilities Work and Services Framework, which enabled PD Ports to engage with McLaughlin & Harvey during the early stages of the scheme and collaboratively develop the design, construction methodology, programme and cost before progressing into construction

Seamus Devlin, Managing Director
McLaughlin & Harvey

It is fantastic to see work get underway on this significant project, which will strengthen and safeguard the existing infrastructure of the Tees Estuary. The complexity of the project required early contractor involvement and collaboration from the outset. Through the SCAPE Utilities Works and Services framework, we worked closely with McLaughlin & Harvey and PD Ports to not only provide early contractor engagement but deliver an efficient, compliant route to market as well.

Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive
SCAPE

The South Gare breakwater is a vital piece of infrastructure for the safe and effective operations of Teesport, which in turn supports thousands of jobs and generates £1.4bn for the Teesside economy each year.

Working with McLaughlin & Harvey through the SCAPE framework has enabled us to develop a robust solution to protect the breakwater and move efficiently into construction.

This investment will improve the breakwater’s long-term resilience, helping to protect the estuary and the important assets it supports for years to come.

Mark Pearson, Group Projects Director
PD Ports