Cheshire canal reopens to boats following £850k repair to collapsed culvert

The repair to the canal, just north of Chester between Knolls Bridge and Backford Bridge, required temporary tracks to be laid to allow vehicles and machinery to safely gain access to the site and excavate the damaged towpath, embankment and canal bed. Once rebuilt, more than 120 tonnes of clay were bought to site to reline the canal bed and make it watertight.

The canal, nicknamed the ‘Shroppie’, was the last narrow trunk canal built in England, as well as the final major engineering feat by esteemed civil engineer Thomas Telford. Completed in 1835, it runs 66 miles and was designed to link the industrial centres of Ellesmere Port on the River Mersey with Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

Work to resurface and reopen the towpath has also been completed and the teams will reinstate vegetation before clearing the site.

Lisa Shaw, our project manager, said: “It has been a massive team effort to repair the canal and get it back open for boaters and towpath users as quickly as possible.

“Our charity has had to overcome some unique challenges in a repair of this scale, but we’re pleased to have restored the structural integrity of the canal, ensured its long-term stability and protected the embankment from future erosion. Thankfully, all that hard work has paid off, the repairs have been completed, and navigation is now back open for boaters.

“We know how important the Shropshire Union Canal is to so many people and we would like to thank everyone, especially boaters and the local community, for their patience and support whilst these works have been carried out.”