Marple flight closed until January

IT WAS the 7th November when a large hole appeared and damage was discovered to a culvert at Lock 14 on the Marple Flight.

The flight has been closed since then, Keith Gudgin reports.

It had been discovered that tree roots had caused 'significant damage' and that the area around Lock 14 will need a complete rebuild along a six metre length.

Different methods of repair

Engineers all the while have been exploring different repair methods, but nothing it seems has been decided.

During this time occasional passages for boats have been arranged, with the next passage scheduled for Tuesday 7th January—two months since the failure—and Tuesday 14th January.

There is yet no intimation as to when the broken culvert will actually be repaired.