I headed down the arm - by bike - to check progress on bridge repair, although that doesn't seem the best word - they'll be removing the bridge span, which may or may mot be replaced at a later date. Sadly access is a little difficult - the towpath is blocked under the M25 by a huge great hoarding blocking the view, although the foreman told me the fences & signs are having to be replaced on an almost daily basis.
The work is being done by Greenfords, subcontracted from May Gurney, contracted by C&RT - as ever, two lots of profit to be skimmed off from that, then. So far all the important services - the mains & fibre optic cables which C&RT are being paid to carry - have been moved to the handy adjacent pipe bridge. The canal is completely blocked by gravel, to give a stable surface for the work to be continued. The bridge had dropped a metre, apparently.
The good news is that they expect to have finished by the published date of mid June.
3 comments:
Hurrah, Simon is back! Hi, hope all is good with you.
Thanks for the update - it's good news that they think the canal will open that quickly - I'm always afraid that they won't bother when these calamities happen!
Sue, nb Indigo Dream
ps: Cruising down from Coppermill Lock to Paddington on Saturday - shout and wave if we pass you :-D
Simon,
Thanks for this, you got closer than I managed the other week. Good news hopefully, I've now missed both Cavalcade and Rickie which is a waste of money is nothign else (and the weather for both was pretty good). I fear more old structures on the canal will meet the same fate - you do have to wonder if that new access road (and hump) had something to do with this issue.
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