WORK has now started on the clear-up of the debris dumped into the Rochdale Canal by last year's Boxing Day floods (Floods cause significant damage) but it will take six weeks to complete one section.
However, though Canal & River Trust state 'The £350k operation, scheduled to last six weeks, will allow the flood damaged waterway to reopen to boats between Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge by Easter', the six weeks end on the 16th April, whilst Easter this year is is the 25th to 28 of March...
Estimated 7,500 tonnes
It is calculated that around 7,500 tonnes of debris will be taken from the Rochdale Canal, with work on a 3½ miles stretch of the canal between Moderna Bridge in Mythomroyd to Bridge 22 in Todmorden where debris, stone and sand were washed into the canal.
There is also considerable work to do on the canal between lock 16 and 17 where the flooded River Calder washed away an entire stretch of canal bank.
A floating dredger will be used to dig the material from the bed of the canal to reopen the blocked sections to navigation.