ACCESS to Dawlish beach is due to be open to all over the Bank Holiday weekend. Contractors working on the latest phase of sea wall improvements have been able to open the Colonnade underpass.

Engineers working on the scheme anticipate there will be safe, step-free access on a specially-built path to the beach for the holiday weekend.

They have been busy building a walkway to allow the underpass to be accessible.

Contractors BAM Nuttall, who are working on the latest phase of the new sea wall for Network Rail, have finished the piling for the foundations of the new bridge that will link the two sections of public, accessible footbridge and are now working on the culvert in the stilling basin so that they can realign Dawlish Water where it runs into the sea.

Plans for the temporary underpass closure were announced by Network Rail earlier this year.

It has meant while the beach and King’s Walk promenade remain open, it has only been via the stepped footbridge near Kennaway Tunnel at the end of Marine Parade.

The proposals sparked anger as it has meant there has been no access for those with mobility issues and parents with pushchairs while the underpass has been closed.

Work was delayed after the discovery of an ‘uncharted’ capped gas main which meant the underpass has been open for longer than initially expected.

However, it has since had to be closed to allow engineers to work in safety.

The closure has been needed for safety reasons as heavy machinery is required to install foundations of a new bridge to connect the two sections of the new accessible public promenade and for the box culvert, through which Dawlish Water will flow out to sea.

The original plan was to close the underpass for 12 weeks over the summer but the discovery of the gas main pushed back the contractors’ plans.