Marple Flight will again be closed long term

Published: Thursday, 07 June 2018

THOUGH Canal & River Trust is attempting to play down the problem with Lock 11 on the Marple Flight, it will need a long term solution.

As with Lock 15 that took eight months to rectify, Lock 11 has the same problem of one of its walls bowing in thus restricting the passage of boats through the lock.

Marple11Short term solution

Though at the moment the trust have moved back the copings of the lock, this is only a short term solution, it admitting there is movement lower down a wall as in Lock 15, and will only allow passage of boats up to 6ft 10ins. Yet this only applies to boats less than 45ft long, as boats over this length will have to have a narrower beam to get through the lock.

Though there is the suggestion of jacking the walls, this would mean the lock will have to be closed, and once the jacks are removed the wall will again bow inwards, the trust admitting that this would not be a long term solution.

As to the future, it is 'currently also undertaking further analysis and design to enable a more permanent repair to be developed'.

Yet as a lock wall has bowed inwards the only pratical solution is for it to be rebuilt.