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Ribble Link dredging on target

22nd Mar 2007

The Ribble Link is on target to reopen on 6 April following £600k of winter maintenance works, including channel dredging, repairs to a lock bywash and the filling of a number of voids behind lock walls.

The Ribble Link is on target to reopen on 6 April following £600k of winter maintenance works, including channel dredging, repairs to a lock bywash and the filling of a number of voids behind lock walls.

The £240k dredging works include traditional ‘bucket’ dredging and an innovative method of ‘cutter suction’ dredging which involves pumping the estuarine silt beyond the sea gate into the Ribble Estuary where it is carried away by an outgoing tide.

Steve Pugmire, British Waterways' (BW) North West asset & programme manager comments: "Pumping the silt over the sea gate into an out-going tide is a more sustainable and economic way of removing the silt that would otherwise typically go into landfill."

BW was authorised to carry out the ‘cutter section’ dredging following an application approved by Defra. Following its success BW will be reapplying for further licences to carry out annual ‘cutter suction’ dredging to remove the build-up of silt that is bought into the Ribble Link throughout the course of a normal boating season.