Breydon Water phased marker post replacement works

The marker posts installed in the Breydon channel are mainly timber with fibreglass caps. The Authority has chosen to gradually replace the wooden markers with driven steel tubes, following a life-cycle analysis incorporating unit cost, replacement rate and material sustainability.

Highest priority is given to those posts that are broken or missing. The remaining posts are replaced according to condition, with the posts in the worst condition to be replaced first. Typically the replacement campaign in any one year would seek to work on between 10 - 16 posts.

The replacement of marker posts is typically programmed between March to June or between September and mid-November. This is outside of the period of wintering wildfowl and avoids the peak period of boat traffic whilst taking advantage of more predictable calm weather.

There are 58 marker posts to be replaced over a possible five-year period. Each phase of the works will be determined by a yearly condition report. The actual scope of works taken forward will be subject to the Contractor's pricing and funding availability, but it is estimated that the work packages will include 16 posts biannually.