Failure of single working lock paddle closes Wigan Flight

Published: Wednesday, 19 August 2020

ALL too often now there is just one working paddle on lock gates causing stoppages.

The failure of the single working paddle on a set of lock gates on Lock 73 on the Wigan Flight closed the Leeds & Liverpool (again!) yesterday, Tuesday, when it broke off, so leaving the lock unworkable, Keith Gudgin reports.

Same situation

It was a short while ago that the same situation occurred at Wardle Lock at Middlewich closing the navigation, again as the single working paddle on a set of gates failed.

Though this is something that rarely occurred in the days of British Waterways, all too often a single paddle failure is ignored, so when the working one also fails as they do in this age of reduced maintenance, the navigation is stopped.

Canal & River Trust are expecting the paddle (just the one?) to be repaired and the lock operational again today.