Planned Stoppages Listings

Bridge 12a, Railway bridge
Starts At: Bridge 12, Woodley Stone Bridge
Ends At: Woodley Tunnel North Portal
Up Stream Winding Hole: Unity Mills
Down Stream Winding Hole: BuryMeWick

RESTRICTION (8am Monday 11 December until 5pm Friday 15 December 2023)

Please be advised that third-party contractors will be onsite at Bridge 12a, Railway bridge on the Peak Forest Canal. 

The third-party contractors are working on behalf of Network Rail and will be carrying out a detailed inspection of the bridge via roped access. 

Whilst the navigation and towpath will remain open,  we politely request all customers to approach the area with caution and be prepared to stop if necessary. 

Please take note of the signage and to listen to any advice that may be given by the third-party contractors onsite.

Stonecross Aqueduct

RESTRICTION (8am Monday 11 December until 5pm Friday 15 December 2023)

Due to increasing leakage from Stonecross Aqueduct onto the highway beneath, a canal bed puddling repair is planned to reduce, or hopefully stop, the flow.

Boaters may be asked to wait for a short while until the operation has stopped and craft moved. Please follow instructions from the site team.

Towpath from Bridge 82, University Avenue to Bridge 84, Somerset Road, Birmingham

TOWPATH CLOSURE (8am Monday 11 December until 5pm Friday 15 December 2023)

Third party contractors are undertaking repair works to the towpath opposite the new University Station. The towpath will be closed from Bridge 82, University Avenue to Bridge 84, Somerset Road to facilitate these works.

The towpath will be closed from Monday 11th December to Friday 15th December.

A diversion route plan will be in place. Signage and banksmen will be used to manage traffic. Navigation will remain open.

Carol Concert

Lock 81, Batchworth Lock

EVENT (10am-7pm Saturday 9 December 2023)

A carol service organised by the Boaters Christian Fellowship, around 150 people are expected to attend.

Bridge 51, Coed-Y-Gric

ADVICE (8am Thursday 7 December until 6pm Friday 8 December 2023)

Please be advised that contractors will be working close to Bridge 51 to remove a small redundant gas pipe and the area should be approached with caution. 

Starts At: Lock 2, New Marton Locks
Ends At: Lock 1, New Marton Locks

RESTRICTION (8am Wednesday 6 December until 4pm Wednesday 13 December 2023)

Update on 14/11/2023:

We apologise that the dates for this restriction have been revised.

We are having complications on site with land ownership, and this has resulted in the works being delayed by 3 weeks, the new dates are the 6 December 2023 through to the 13 December 2023.

RESTRICTION (8am Wednesday 15 November until 4pm Tuesday 21 November 2023)

Please be advised that third party contractors, Land and water services, will be working in this area from 15th November 2023 until 21^st November 2023 to facilitate dredging works. They will be scraping out the sediment in Locks 1 and 2 to a point where there is space to load it into our hoppers. They will need to do this multiple times in order to clear as much sediment as possible.

Customers are able to navigate through this section once the dredger has moved out of the lock. They will endeavour to ensure any waiting time is kept to a minimum but please add on an estimated 1 hour extra to your journey.

Please note contractors will be operating Monday to Friday 7am – 6pm so there is free movement outside of this.

The Towpath will remain open for the duration of the works. 

Sharpness Dock, Port entrance
North Sea Gate (Gate 1)

NAVIGATION CLOSURE (8am Wednesday 6 December until 6pm Saturday 9 December 2023)

Please be advised that essential maintenance operations on the Sharpness dock gates are required and will mean a closure of the navigation.

These works will take place from Wednesday the 6 December to Friday the 8 December (inclusive).

We will conduct the works as quickly as possible and it may be the case that the navigation is opened quicker than expected, a follow-up notice will advise of any change to programme.

Any vessels looking to book passage around this period should contact Sharpness Pierhead in the first instance to gain further advice.

Sharpness Pierhead: 01452 915 337

Bridge 42, Tilstock Park Bridge
Starts At: Bridge 41, Springhill Bridge
Ends At: Bridge 43, Platt Lane Bridge
Up Stream Winding Hole: Hassells
Down Stream Winding Hole: Hampton Bank

NAVIGATION CLOSURE (8am Wednesday 6 December until 5pm Thursday 7 December 2023)

Update on 22/11/2023:

These works have been rescheduled to December 6th and 7th. All other details remain the same.

Original message:

Contractors working for the Council will be carrying out urgent repairs to the lift bridge. The canal will be closed for up to 2 days to allow the repairs to be completed with the bridge in the “down” position.

The towpath will remain open but please approach with caution and follow any instructions given by the contractors. Warning signs and banksmen will be used.

Cable Bridge Banner Works – Bow Creek

ADVICE (8am Tuesday 5 December until 6pm Wednesday 6 December 2023)

The Line Project – Maintenance works to banners installed across cable bridge spanning the Bow Creek River. 

Safety Boat within river, as works are to be undertaken via cranes either side of the river.

Navigation will always remain unrestricted.

Inspection
Kirkhouse Green Lift Bridge 4

RESTRICTION (9am-3pm Tuesday 5 December 2023)

An inspection will be carried out to Kirkhouse Green Lift Bridge on the 5th December 2023 from 9:30am to approx 2pm.

Delays may be experienced while the inspections take place and equipment is moved out of the way.

Could skippers of all crafts, please slow down and approach the area with caution.

South of Wykin Bridge 21

RESTRICTION (8am Monday 4 December 2023 until 6pm Saturday 6 January 2024)

A revised date of the 4th – 6th of December has been agreed for the third party contractors, DK Drainage Ltd, to replace an existing blocked pipe just south of Wykin Bridge 21.

The work will involve minor excavation and replacement of existing blocked pipework with HDPE pipework and finished to fit in with existing towpath.

Pedestrians may experience delays of up to 20 minutes, in order for the contractor to stop works and escort pedestrians through site.

Boaters are asked to proceed with care and follow any advice on site.

Belpar Bridge

ADVICE (8am Monday 4 December until 5pm Friday 8 December 2023)

Contractors on behalf of Sandwell MBC are carrying out essential repair and maintenance work on Belper Bridge from Monday 4th December to Friday 8th December.

They will be carrying out works from a pontoon but this will be moved out of the way for passing boat traffic. Please following instructions from contractors.

Tree works at Denford
Starts At: Bridge 38, Denford Road Bridge
Ends At: Bridge 39, Wall Grange Roadbridge

ADVICE (8am-5pm Monday 4 December 2023)

Third party contractors working for the electricity company will be carrying out tree works under the overhead cables alongside the towpath. The canal and towpath will remain open but please approach with caution and follow any instructions given by the contractors. Warning signs and banksmen will be used.

Starts At: Bridge 85, Varley St Bridge
Ends At: Bridge 82, Old Church St Bridge

TOWPATH CLOSURE (7am Monday 4 December 2023 until 7pm Friday 1 March 2024)

Please be advised the towpath between Bridge 85, Varley St Bridge and Bridge 82, Old Church St Bridge on the Rochdale Canal will be closed to facilitate necessary towpath maintenance works. The planned works and towpath closure will be phased to minimise the impact.

A diversion route will be in place onsite.

Whilst the canal will be kept open to navigation, we politely request customers to approach the area with caution and to listen to any advice that may be given onsite.