New Civil Engineer: St Petersburg flood barrier: Russia's priceless defence

After 30 years, a giant construction effort to protect the beautiful city of St Petersburg from catastrophic flooding is drawing close to completion. Jackie Whitelaw reports on an historic civils project.

Perched on a rocky promontory out in the Neva Bay on a balmy autumn day it is hard to imagine how threatening this environment can become. And not least to the brightly painted stonework and golden spires of the Russian city of St Petersburg which glows pink in the afternoon sun at the head of the bay.

(...) When the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development agreed to lend money to the scheme (...) there was general agreement that after a 15 year halt in construction the designs should be reassessed and updated where possible.

Halcrow won the international design competition in 2003 in association with DHV of the Netherlands and Norplan of Norway.