UK: Repair of the Nation’s Canals Underway

As water levels begin to recede, Canal and River Trust is preparing to get the nation’s canal network repaired and fully open.

Across large parts of the country the remarkable resilience of the two centuries old canal system has again been proven and it remains open for people to use.

Nevertheless, costs are mounting in the areas most affected. South Wales is seeing the most significant impacts of the extreme weather with the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal alone facing rising costs of £1million and at least nine weeks of repairs at Llanfoist.

The sustained wet weather has caused a section of the 200-year old embankment, which carries the canal along the hill side from the Brecon Beacons down to the more populated areas of South Wales around Pontypool and Cwmbran, to become so saturated that it has ‘slipped’ down the side of the hill.

Engineers have been working to stabilise the embankment and from today they will begin effectively ‘nailing’ it back to the bedrock using up to 500 massive pins.

[mappress]

Press Release, February 25, 2014