The sea is visible again in the area of the East End Cemetery. Steel sheet pilings that had obscured the view have been cut to the right height for a sea wall that will protect the burial ground on three sides.
Mr. Robert Bodden of Robson Construction confirmed last week that the seawall is on schedule for completion by 21 April.
Preliminary work began in December. A team from VW Marine Ltd., sub-contracted by Robson Construction, started installing the interlocking sheet pilings on 18 January. These were driven below sea level by a four-ton hammer (Caymanian Compass, 5 February).
Mr. Bodden said the process of cutting the pilings down to the approximate height of the finished sea wall took place in mid-February. The actual finished height of the wall will be a few inches higher because of the concrete cap his workers are in the process of installing.
Preliminary work includes the plaiting of steel bars through and around the pilings for additional strength and the building of wooden forms for the concrete pour. The finished wall will be two feet thick.
A part of the job that visitors will not see after completion is a series of tie-backs – extra wedge-shaped steel and concrete reinforcements every 60 feet along the length of the wall. The tie-backs help cope with the pressure of the sea during a storm, Mr. Bodden said. They will be covered when the site is filled in to the height of the beachside wall.
The finished project will also feature a staircase from the cemetery to the beach.
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