Oxford closed for two months

IF YOU were planning to cruise the North Oxford or undertake the Leicester Ring at Easter—forget it!

For it will be closed for the next two months, up to the 18th May, Keith Gudgin reports.

Proving longer to clear

This is because the landslip at Easenhall Cutting at Brinklow is proving longer to clear, the wet weather being blamed as it has saturated the landslip and the trust tell that the 'slumped' materials are making the area unstable.

This has resulted in a further access road of 300m having to be constructed before the planned excavation can be undertaken, making the work a very long job, for the landslip closed the navigation on the 7th February and will altogether have the navigation closed for over 14 weeks.

Even then we are told this opening date depends on what damage may be revealed such as to the towpath wall that is still under the landslip.

Good progress

The team have made good progress in clearing all the trees and vegetation adjacent to the slip area, we are told, and have also commenced work to remove some of the slipped material, but the slip is very extensive and there is still movement, both on the exposed main slip face and on the isolated sections opposite. The initial estimate of the volume of material that needs to be moved is in the order of 4000 tonnes.