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Users of Lancaster Canal have been delivered a hammer blow after it was revealed the waterway at Woodplumpton will not reopen until the end of March next year.
Part of the embankment and towpath collapsed to the north of the Moons Bridge Marina near Woodplumpton and temporary dams were put in place following the incident on the weekend of 20-21 July.
The Canal and River Trust (CRT) is carrying out work to fix the problem, but in a recent statement on its website it revealed the scale of the task ahead.
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It said: “A recent site inspection following the removal of debris has revealed that the wingwall foundation of the aqueduct is in worse condition than initially anticipated. This will require either significant remedial works or a full replacement.
“Supporting the aqueduct internally within repairs will be necessary before the foundation can be removed and replaced, alongside temporary works. These unforeseen challenges are expected to extend the navigation reopening date to the end of March 2025, although we are working hard to improve on this timeline.”
The news came as a shock for some boaters, but CRT said it was doing all it could.
It added: “To support the bed repair, the contractor has established improved access points, enabling the safe delivery of clay to the work area. Additionally, a temporary access ramp has been installed to the collapsed aqueduct, facilitating the safe commencement of apron repairs.
“With this ramp in place, we have successfully removed all fallen debris from the northern side of the aqueduct. These debris have been cleared from the site, and work on repairing the aqueduct apron is now underway.
In the breach area, 40 tons of temporary fill material used to support the three-sided dam has been removed. This has been replaced with 40 tons of compacted clay as a permanent solution for the hole created when the water rushed out of the canal creating a scour to the bed of the canal, further hedges have been cleared on the east side of the canal.”
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