Keeping up the trend

THREE days into the new year and three stoppages are keeping up the past trend of a stoppage a day!

After the closure of the Staffs & Worcs on New Years Day by a broken lock gate comes the notice on the 2nd that the Leeds & Liverpool is closed again, Keith Gudgin reports.

Second failure

This is by the failure of a swing bridge—Bradley Swing Bridge (182A), its second failure within the past year, with the only information from Canal & River Trust that a fault had developed and contractors will be attending.

Then comes the third day of the new year with the notice that the Peak Forest is closed again, this time by the failure of Wood End Lift Bridge (24). Pictured.

Third time in a year

This is its third time this bridge has been out of action in the past year, in both January and October, the latter failure resulting in various excuses resulting in the navigation closed for a month whilst the contractors had to source the parts and install them to make the bridge workable once more.

As to the failure of the lock on the Staffs & Worcs, any boaters stuck there will not be too happy to be told by the trust 'We are hoping navigation here will be open again by the end of next week'.