Boats have returned to cruising the Shropshire Union Canal in Cheshire following the completion of an £850,000 repair project to fix a serious breach caused earlier this year.
The breach occurred when an old culvert carrying a stream beneath the canal collapsed, damaging the towpath, embankment and canal bed. To carry out the complex repair, engineers installed temporary access tracks to allow vehicles and heavy machinery to reach the site safely.
The damaged towpath, embankment and canal bed were excavated before being fully rebuilt. Once repairs were complete, more than 120 tonnes of clay were used to reline the canal bed, ensuring it was watertight and structurally sound.
Work to resurface and reopen the towpath has also been completed. Restoration teams will now reinstate vegetation before fully clearing the site.
Lisa Shaw, project manager at the Canal & River Trust, said:
“It has been a massive team effort to repair the canal and get it back open. We are pleased to have restored its structural integrity, ensured its long-term stability, and protected the embankment from future erosion.”
