Latest news with #shorelineprotection
BBC News
16-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Swansea flood defence and promenade 'like the Med' unveiled
A major project aimed at protecting a large part of the shoreline near Swansea has officially £26m project, which took two years to complete, covers 1.2km (0.75 miles) in Mumbles, aiming to protect homes and businesses from coastal flooding, while also resulting in a wider, more attractive owners had previously said the work had led to fewer people visiting, but now hope it will boost visitor numbers. Swansea council leader Rob Stewart said the new-look promenade "can rival anything in the Mediterranean". Deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies, who grew up in nearby Gowerton, unveiled a plaque on the promenade, describing it as "magnificent".A recent Met Office report revealed that the UK sea level is rising faster than the global average, with the risk of flooding expected to increase. Irranca-Davies, who is responsible for climate change and rural affairs, said there was a set of criteria for prioritising coastal defence schemes based on social and economic factors."We cannot defend every inch of seafront and coastline," he Bollom, who lives nearby, said some neighbours living on the ground floor had lost some views of the bay, but understood the work needed to be done."It looks amazing," she said of the seawall and promenade. "And I would rather not get flooded. The old seawall was eroding and it looked scruffy," she said, adding there were new seats and bins. Lily Ella Westacott, manager of local lifestyle shop Hiatus, was also pleased with the project."It's a big improvement to the local environment and we're confident it'll bring more people to enjoy Mumbles."Mr Stewart, from Swansea council, said the project would defend residents and businesses in the area "for the next 100 years"."It also gives them a fantastic new seafront that can rival anything in the Mediterranean," he said.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Putting rocks on the beach, cutting trees to save Oʻahu highway
KAAAWA, Hawaii (KHON2) — A popular Windward Oʻahu coastline is going through a major change. Download the free KHON2 app for iOS or Android to stay informed on the latest news The State Department of Transportation said it is necessary to protect Kamehameha Highway in Kaʻaʻawa, but some beachgoers have reservations. The ocean has been slowly eating away at the Kaʻaʻawa Beach shoreline for years, but the Hawaiʻi DOT is preparing to build a rock wall about 400 feet long and 15.5 feet wide to keep the highway from collapsing into the sea. 'I get that your priority is to fix the road, and then in some places, you know,' said Kaneohe resident Shane Brown, 'What's the other option? Are we going to put a road through the middle of the school?' Hawaii vs. Trump: Legal battle brews over climate accountability Roughly 13,000 vehicles pass through this corridor every day, and it is a vital route for both residents and emergency services, but protecting the road comes at a cost. 'And even just being a surfer, I'm not a civil engineer and all that. But there's something where when you build a wall and the water hits it, the sand just goes away,' Brown said. 'Even I can see it looking behind you. We have a rock wall that's just down there. You see where the rock wall is, there's no sand…as soon as it ends, boom, beautiful beach.' Another concern KHON2 heard had to do with the trees that needed to be cut down in order to make room for the project. There are worries it could lead to further problems down the line. 'Seeing the trees removed, it's just more like another punch in the gut to the community, something that they didn't have a say in and it takes away the beauty of the location,' said Haula resident Derrick Pressley. 'The road itself is very important, the question would be, 'Why do we have to take the beach away to secure the road?'' 'Never seen it this bad before,' Maui residents on Kihei & Wailea beach erosion According to the HDOT's environmental assessment: A riprap revetment is the preferred option because it is a longer-term solution for the protection of the critical roadway, which also minimizes reflected energy at the shoreline. Lateral access to the beach is expected to improve following the installment of the revetment due to the absorptive and permeable nature of rock revetments. Kamehameha Highway at Kaaawa Erosion MitigationDraft Environmental Assessment 'They have to remove all this vegetation to be able to put the rocks in a secure way so that the rocks don't just go out into the ocean, because the worst thing would be that they do this project and then the waves break it all apart,' said Brown. The highway is being contraflowed while the project is ongoing; it is expected to be completed before high surf season in the winter. Check out more news from around Hawaii for a link to the full environmental assessment from HDOT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
