THE COMPANY that runs the Bridgewater Canal has confirmed it won’t reopen to navigation until December 2026.
A catastrophic flood occurred at Little Bollington, near Dunham Massey, on New Year’s Day following heavy rainfall.
It left farmland under water and drained a 1.9-mile section of the canal. Emergency stoplogs were put in to stop further water loss and the area has remained off limits ever since.
Now the Bridgewater Canal Company, which owns the canal, says permanent repairs will take 18 months to complete – meaning boats will not be able to use the canal until the end of next year.
Peter Parkinson, managing director of the Bridgewater Canal, said: “Although it’s still early days, we’re currently aiming to have the canal fully reopened to navigation – including the Cheshire Ring – by December 2026. Initial consultations on repair design have begun, and we hope to appoint an engineering consultancy in the coming months.
“To date, around £300,000 has been invested in stabilising and protecting the canal following the breach. We remain committed to keeping the community, our boating customers and all interested parties updated as plans develop.”
A statement from the company said a permanent earth dam will secure the breach site and wooden stoplogs will be fitted while long-term repairs take place.
The Bridgewater Canal was built 250 years ago by the Duke of Bridgewater to move coal from his mine to towns and cities. It has no locks and runs from Runcorn to Leigh with a short branch stretch to link up with the Manchester Ship Canal.
