Crinan Canal reopening date pushed back to end of April
Work on the canal basin at Crinan was due to finish in mid-April but extra repairs mean it will be the end of April before the canal reopens.
Hopes have been dashed that the winter works on the Crinan Canal can be completed by mid-April, after an outcry at the end of last year over the proposed seven-month closure.
While work on the lock gate replacement works programme for lock 15 have been going well, said Scottish Canals, which is responsible for the Mid Argyll waterway, a leak at the Crinan dummy lock has thrown a spanner in the works.
The leak was being monitored but a full investigation has been carried out since the canal was closed and drained at Crinan.
“Unfortunately, we discovered that the issue was much more significant than indicated from initial inspections,” said Scottish Canals on its update on its website this week.
“We have now assessed the options for repairing the dummy lock and identified the most effective solution for a timely yet robust long-term repair.
“Therefore, we intend to carry out reactive repair works to the dummy lock immediately following the lock 15 gate replacement works, allowing us to take advantage of the work site that is already set up and the canal already dewatered.
“We will also be able to use the over-lock crane platform, allowing us further efficiencies in the programme.
“We are currently going through the required regulatory consent process to obtain the relevant permissions for our intended works. Subject to obtaining these permissions, the indicative reopening date for the canal is Tuesday April 30.”
There was an outcry from businesses at Crinan at the end of last year when the original programme of works was announced for the winter.
North Knapdale Community Council secretary Richard Stein and Frances Macdonald, owner of the Crinan Hotel, led a campaign to limit the disruption to residents and the cost to businesses.
They had hoped the canal could be reopened at the end of March, in time for Easter. A compromise was reached when Scottish Canals negotiated with contractors to finish by mid-April rather than mid-May.
However, the work to repair the leak will not see the programme of works finished until the end of April.
Scottish Canals added: “There will then be ongoing works around the canal for a further six to eight weeks after this, while we take down the works compound, carry out landscaping works, reinstate paths, and upgrade the mooring bollards.”
Scottish Canals said it was grateful to contractors Mackenzie Construction and its own team for their efforts to ensure there has been no delays during the recent winter storms to work at lock 15, despite having to make improvements to the dams inside the sea lock chamber to keep water out.
This has allowed work on preparing the site for the new lock gates which were due to be fitted this week.
A temporary road closure has been in place this week to allow the large downstream gates, weighing 12 tonnes, to be installed.
Scottish Canals said the lifting operation was complex and required two cranes, included the over-lock crane, to manoeuvre them into place.
A further update on the works programmes will be given at the end of February.