Another waterway closed indefinitely

THE Canal & River Trust has discovered that following detailed inspection of Lock 15 on the Marple Flight it will be a 'significant and complex project' to repair, with the Peak Forest Canal closed indefinitely.

The lock has now become too narrow for boats to safely pass through and until this can be rectified the whole Marple Flight will remain closed.

Health and safety

At first the Trust maintained that the lock would only be closed for a single day, thus allowing boats of up to 6' 10" to pass through by installing a width gauge, but health and safety implications demand that this is not safe.

As our Keith Gudgin tells:

"Not a pleasant prospect if my experience of the Bridgewater is anything to go by. It also scuppers the Cheshire Ring and those wishing to do 'The Tunnel' without the awful Bridgewater/Rochdale/Ashton part."

Second waterway closed this week

This is the second waterway to be closed this week, the Leicester Section of the Grand Union Canal was closed 'indefinitely' on Wednesday. Dare we ask—which will be the next one...?