Engineers working to stop part of Ironbridge Gorge slipping into the River Severn say they are confident of catching up on time lost so far. Engineers working to stop part of Ironbridge Gorge slipping into the River Severn say they are confident of catching up on time lost so far.

The scheme to protect The Lloyds area of the World Heritage Site began in September and is due to be completed in June. John Brace, agent for engineers Amec Piling, said work was slightly behind schedule. The first phase of the work, which is costing about £3.2 million, is seeing massive piles filled with concrete being sunk 100ft into the earth.

The piles will help stabilise the land. Mr Brace said: “We have put in about 30 piles of about 140. We are still slightly behind, but we have not fallen any further behind than before.

“We will make up time by the end of the job.”

He said the winter weather was not causing any problems, while the recent floods had also not impacted on work as it was taking place at a higher level than the river water reached.

“Everything is going according to plan,” said Mr Brace. “We are still grouting and still filling voids as we found them.”

Engineers have revealed they have come across more mine workings than expected during the scheme.

Part of the work involves filling voids along the route left when the area was used for mining. The workings, which are more like fractures in the ground, are being filled with grouting.

So far about 600 cubic metres of grouting – about 900 tonnes – has been used on the site. The work involves a 165m stretch of the The Lloyds, a key link road along the bottom of the Gorge and the worst area that side of the river for land movement.

Work started in August but had fallen four weeks behind by early November. Amec blamed the delay on the learning process and getting established on the site.

The first phase of the work is costing about £3.2 million, with the piles expected to last about 30 years. However, another £25 million is needed to complete the work.

By Lisa Rowley