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Lock stopped and drained of water

6th Dec 2005

British Waterways has commenced an extensive winter engineering programme. The works will help secure the future integrity of the 200 year old network, ensuring the waterways continue to be enjoyed by the millions of people who visit them each year.

More than £23 million will be spent on the replacement of 133 lock gates, repairs to 64 canal bridges as well as structural works to a number of canal embankments, aqueducts and reservoirs.

A valued leisure resource, Britain’s canals and rivers support thousands of businesses and some 54,000 jobs. They earn the country over £1½ billion in visitor income each year.

Robin Evans, British Waterways chief executive, comments: "A 200 year old canal requires constant maintenance and this year will see an increased number of engineering works to improve the fabric of our historic working waterways.

"Today’s canals and rivers are visited more than 300 million times each year and are a prime leisure and tourism resource and source of public benefit. The integrity of the network is vital and underpins all activity on the waterways: from the boating businesses that provide holidays, to the use of waterways for flood defence and even the supply of drinking water to many towns and cities across the UK."

Examples of the works being carried out this winter to ensure the waterways’ integrity include:

Dowley Gap Aqueduct

  • Grade II listed aqueduct on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal nr Bradford
  • Extensive structural repairs valued at £650k
  • Five month restoration programme
  • Works include conservation of protected bats

British Waterways is "minding the gap" at a major restoration of the Dowley Gap Aqueduct on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bradford. Works to the aqueduct will prevent water escaping through leaks in the canal bed that have been causing damage to the structure’s stone masonry.

Marbury Flood Gates

  • £700k project to install two sets of timber canal flood gates
  • Four month project on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Cheshire
  • Works to mitigate risks of ground subsidence caused by underlying salt mines

This winter British Waterways is undertaking works on the Trent & Mersey Canal in Cheshire. Its engineers have identified that sections of the canal have been "sinking", the result of years of third party salt mining and brine extraction from the ground beneath the canal. Having assessed the risks of the ground loss leading to a canal breach, the £700k of engineering works this winter will dramatically mitigate the effects of a breach with the installation of two sets of flood gates.

Startop’s End Reservoir

  • £630k project to prevent leakage from a feeder reservoir on the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire
  • 10 week project to restore the full operating capacity of the reservoir
  • Works vital to provide the water required to maintain boating on this popular stretch of canal

Starting in March 2006, British Waterways will carry out leakage repairs and remedial works to Startop’s End Reservoir which feeds the Grand Union Canal in Hertfordshire. The works will ensure that the reservoir, which has had to operate at reduced levels due to the undermining effects of the leakage, will be operating at full capacity in time for the start of the 2006 boating season.

Maintenance works on several waterways will continue throughout the winter, with the waterways fully re-opened for users by the end of March 2006.

Last updated: 22/10/2008