Watford repaired and re-opened

THE broken Lock 3 on the Watford Flight has now been repaired and the flight re-opened.

The lock failed on the 12th June as part had rotted away, as seen from the CanalWorld photograph, and was removed and taken away for repair, Keith Gudgin reports.

Lock not replaced

The lock was not replaced but braced and has been reinstated, so now has to be handled with care as it is obviously no longer a solid structure.

The work of reinstalling the gate was completed yesterday (Wednesday) and the flight is once more fully open having been closed for the past three weeks.

Canal & River Trust state that the reason for the stoppage is 'maintenance', but it would appear the stoppage was caused by lack of maintenance, as those boaters stuck for up to three weeks will surely agree.

The flight will be open seven days a week but no longer all day, with a time restriction of 10am until 2.15pm.