Flood Alleviation Scheme

The scheme consisted of three main improvements

1. Channel Improvements and Flood Banks

The Exe was deepened and widened and the banks artificially raised to produce man-made levees or flood banks. The river flows through a large urban built up area and this placed limits on the extent to which it could be widened in the city.

2. Relief Channels

The building of relief channels to take excess water was also undertaken and radial gates controlled these. The radial gates are closed at high water levels and divert potential floodwater down a side weir and into the relief channel. The concrete and grassed structures produce a noticeable man-made feature to the river banks.

E.g. at Exwick Radial Gates where the main river channel can take up to 250 cumecs, water is diverted after 180 cumecs is reached into a relief channel capable of holding 450 cumecs. This enables a flood of the 1960 order to be contained.

3. New Bridges

Two new bridges replaced the old steel arch bridge. The site of the old bridge was at a narrow point in the Exe and caused a constriction of the channel. The span of 46 metres was replaced with new bridges spanning 67 metres allowing the widening of the channel. The second bridge was added to improve the movement of the growing volume of traffic.