IT HAS BEEN A BIG DAY for action with the work at Whitchurch, Alan Yates writes:
Tuesday 15th September
The two remaining boats wishing to leave the Arm were towed out early evening and moored up on the towpath of the Llangollen Canal just south of the winding hole adjacent to bridge 31A. This leaves five boats in the Arm.
Wednesday 16th September
This is a big day for action. With the boats out of the way, Kier excavator operators have showed great skill (and bottle) in completing the building of a bund (pictured below} across the canal approximately half way between the winding hole and the lift bridge on the main canal. That together with the fitting of stop planks at the entrance to the Arm should enable the draining of a further section of the main canal.
Extending the breach site
It's best to think of this as CaRT extending the breach site up to the bund which will enable the leaky temporary cofferdam at the lift bridge to be removed (or at least stop the annoying leakage).
This is a good move as a leak into the field where the works compound is now, was discovered when preparing the ground for the deposition of hardcore for vehicular traffic. This is part of the canal now to be drained. I think more leaks are suspected?
Investigations into other leaks which may be feeding water into the embankment site itself can then proceed once the water is pumped out after a fish rescue exercise will have taken place.
This has all come about by the discovery of several soft spots in the base of the embankment itself which indicate water ingress. Note this water is above the level of both the culverts and is possibly trapped by the clay layers over the culverts. The water cannot be coming from the culverts due to the difference in heights.
That's why work on the breach itself was stopped following the Bank Holiday.
To be continued .....(Until completion)
The author would like to thank the following drone operators for their excellent work:
https://www.youtube.com/@KieranLottiePhotography
https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorsAboardaNarrowboat
