Still looking into the hole
SILENCE now surrounds Canal & River Trust's closure of the Trent & Mersey Canal at Dutton (Dutton has leaked since being repaired), writes Allan Richards.
The last update on the situation was given over a month ago, on 15th December.
Closed in November
It was on the 27th November that CaRT announced that it was closing the canal between Bridge 211 and Dutton Stop Lock due to ‘a problem'. The following day there was an update. A substantial leak had been found and temporary dams were being strengthened. A fish rescue was to take place and the section drained.
On the 8th December, a further stoppage update confirmed that the fish rescue had taken place.
The update stated ‘A hole about one metre long has been discovered in the original sandy lining of the canal, adjacent to the major repairs that were carried out in 2013' and suggested that the sandy construction of the embankment might be to blame.
Bodged repair?
No mention was made of a possible bodged breach repair or the six high priority defects scheduled to be repaired on the embankment last year. However, Kier, that carried out the 2012 breach repair were already on site with the update telling us:
‘Since Monday specialist Trust engineers have been carrying out extensive investigations of the problem. They are working with our contracting partners Kier to do this with the aim of repairing the canal lining as quickly as possible. Investigations are continuing and so it is too early to give a firm date for the canal to reopen—we will provide more information on that as soon as we are able and should be able to provide a more accurate timetable next week'.
.... which appears to be a very roundabout way of saying a hole has appeared in the canal. Men are looking into it!
Delayed until January
The following week turned out to be the 15th December when another update confirmed that further investigation and repair work would not commence until the first week of January. No definite date for reopening was given and boaters waiting for the stoppage to be lifted were advised to take note of other stoppages in the area after Christmas and contact the Red Bull office if they needed help.
Bearing in mind that the date for reopening was not known, the stoppage update helpfully explained ‘The canal will therefore be closed until this section can be reopened'.
Still looking into it?
A month later, no further stoppage update has been issued so no one knows if investigation has finished or the cause of the hole has been identified. Nobody knows if repair work has actually started, what form it will take or when the canal will reopen.
All we know is that a hole has appeared in the canal and men have been looking into it. .... for six weeks!
So much for customer service!
The diary of the 2012 Dutton breach can be found at:
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/features/diary-of-a-breach
A similar diary of the ‘Dutton Hole' it is eagerly awaited.