THE Canal & River Trust is continuing work to repair a collapsed embankment which swept a section of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal into the River Hyndburn at Rishton, Lancashire.
Subject to weather conditions, it is hoped to re-open the canal in late spring. It is estimated the work will cost nearly £1.7 million.
Senior project manager Dilwyn Parry said: “It’s taken a while to physically start work to fix this hole. We needed to solve the problem of getting all our equipment and vehicles to the remote site, and the scope of works is complex and had to be carefully planned out.
“Behind the scenes, specialists have been ensuring the ecology, heritage and environment around the breach is safe-guarded and engineers have been working on the design plan required to repair the canal.”
Contractors working on behalf of the trust initially installed emergency dams on either side of the breach to secure the canal. A temporary road and construction site compound have been established next to the breach and an access to the canal bed constructed to enable physical work to begin.
Around three thousand tonnes of stones and other materials will be used to reconstruct the canal and build a new culvert carrying a stream under the canal.
Dilwyn added: “We appreciate that this is a major disruption for people who enjoy the canal and towpath and we’re working hard to re-open the canal as quickly as possible.”
(rishton work)
Around three thousand tonnes of stones are being used in the repair of the breach at Rishton.
PHOTO: CANAL & RIVER TRUST
