REPAIRS to the Railway Walk have been completed one year after Storm Ciarán devastated the popular tree-lined path.
The storm, which struck in November last year, brought hurricane-strength winds that uprooted thousands of trees and devastated parks, reservoirs and green spaces across the Island.
The scale of damage last year was believed to exceed that of the 1987 storm, which felled an estimated 20,000 trees.
The Railway Walk, a popular path for walkers, runners and cyclists which stretches from St Aubin to Corbière, was among the hardest-hit areas.
Fallen trees required specialist equipment to clear them, and the pathway itself was left heavily damaged, which meant that contractors were hired to completely resurface the path earlier this year.
The government announced the completion of “significant repairs and enhancements” to the Railway Walk last week which included improving accessibility by replacing old bollards with new timber posts that allow pushchairs and adapted bicycles to pass easily.
The repairs come after a second survey was carried out in the area, a few months after initial restorative work was completed in spring this year.
A government spokesperson said that the follow-up audit on the area was part of “ongoing maintenance” after the storm that found that several areas along the walkway required extra attention.
“As part of ongoing maintenance, a follow-up audit of the surface was carried out, which is routine, to assess how well the Railway Walk had held up after summer usage and following the autumn weather,” the spokesperson said.
“The audit concluded there were several areas along the walkway which required resurfacing to prevent water ponding. A number of ‘soak-aways’ were also created where water run-off was not free-draining. This will help prevent water build-up along the Railway Walk.”
Further “periodic audits” will also be carried out in the area, the government confirmed.
The JEP has asked for exact costs of the total work in the area, which could not be provided at the time of writing.
Storm Ciarán also impacted areas such as the Val de la Mare reservoir and Coronation Park.
At Val de la Mare, the Australasian Collection trees planted in 1975 were completely destroyed.
Coronation Park lost half of its trees, including many dating back to the original plantings in 1935 and replacements after the Great Storm of 1987.
A collaborative restoration effort led by environmental charity Jersey Trees for Life has also been important in the recovery process.
Hundreds of volunteers, including Brownies, Scouts, Rotary Club members and private companies have helped restore local habitats by clearing fallen wood and using it to create 13 “deadwood hedges” across Jersey’s woodlands to create new habitats and support biodiversity.
