A new flood wall in Kendal has been completed.
The 150m stretch of flood wall at New Road Common has reinforced concrete foundations to withstand flood water from the River Kent and is clad in local natural stone.
Work has also been carried out to transform the original slipway into the River Kent using the same local stone as the flood defence walls.
The flood defence links into the new Gooseholme Bridge and ties into higher ground at Miller Bridge, with the height of the wall providing a similar level of resilience to other parts of the Kendal Town flood risk management scheme.
The Environment Agency said public accessibility and safety was a key factor in the design of the New Road Common section of the scheme.
It includes a pedestrian refuge area next to the road crossing opposite Blackhall Road for people to use when the flood gates are closed.
At the Miller Bridge end of the scheme, where ground levels rise to form the flood defence level, railings and a gate will prevent the public from walking into flood water when river levels are high.
The opening of New Road common allows construction work to finish in front of Melrose Place.
Once it has been completed the traffic management will be removed.
But more temporary traffic management arrangements will be needed during summer 2025 to test the flood gates, the agency said.
When completed, the Kendal Flood Scheme will better protect 1,920 homes and 2,250 businesses from the impact of flooding.
Environment Agency project manager for the New Road Common section of the scheme, Alex Cowin said: “There are two flood gates along the defence which will remain open unless a flood event is forecast, at which time the Environment Agency will close them.
“The double leaf floodgate opposite the slipway is expected to remain closed, except for allowing access for Taylor’s Fair and for Environment Agency access to remove gravel.
“As this area is common land, we retained its openness by re-seeding the grassed areas affected by our works. Chestnut pale fencing has been temporarily installed to allow time for the grass to establish. We’ve also introduced a variety of plants in the planters, some of which include trees.
“As well as providing a flood defence, the new wall screens the area from much of the traffic noise, making New Road Common a much nicer environment for the residents and visitors to enjoy. The rejuvenated slipway ramp adds to the character of the common.”
