MAJOR progress is being made across all of the River Park project sites.
The new footbridge near the boardwalk is almost complete, and the works at the flood embankments at Ashley Road are underway.
Now the ground is drier, excavation works of a new channel through Fisherton Recreation Ground have begun. Work will be allowed within the river channels from July 1, due to fish migration these works have been restricted.
The riverside path through Fisherton Recreation will need to be closed off in July to enable the work to be completed, but access to the boardwalk upstream will still be possible from Coldharbour Lane.
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Progress is also being made in the Central Car Park site and at Ashley Road.
The delayed BT work has now been completed which enables the go-ahead for the construction of the new footbridge over the river which will connect to the coach park.
Once this has been completed, the riverside path will be reopened.
The main Avon channel is being constructed rapidly and the new vehicle bridge is in progress with steel beams for the bridge deck due to be lifted into place at the beginning of July.
Traffic will need to be redirected on a slightly different route through the car park in due course to enable the work to take place close to the railway line.
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Salisbury River Park Project Lead, Andy Wallis said: "We have had lots of queries about why the river is still so high, despite there having been little rain recently. This is due to the chalk catchment acting like a really large sponge, which was filled up by the amount of rainfall in March.
"It then takes a long time for this sponge to drain out from top to bottom, and it is only in the last few weeks that the groundwater levels have started to drop around Salisbury, so it is only now that we are expecting water levels to start dropping.
"This is quite unusual for this time of year, but is a challenge being faced across the catchment."
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