Lowland Canals focus on repairing the breach and upgrading

With a design for the repair of the Union Canal breach in place, Scottish Canals aims to have the canal fully open and operational by the end of March 2021.

The navigation authority will also be working on the canal weirs and culverts, ensuring they have the capacity to cope in extreme weather conditions. The storm in August of this year that precipitated the canal breach brought intense rain which lifted more silt than usual, depositing it in culverts and the canal.

Large pieces of debris and tree trunks were also lifted into the canal during the maelstrom.

The marina at Winchburgh, on the Union Canal, is the first new marina to open on the canal since 2014. The project, part of a significant development of housing and new amenities, will eventually see 20 new marina berths. The canal will be closed between December 2020 and March 2021 to allow construction of the new canal basin. Future work will include the installation of pontoons, moorings and a facilities building.

A full lock gate survey will be carried out on the Forth & Clyde Canal which will in turn provide a prioritised plan for gate repair and replacement. In north Glasgow, Garscube Bridge was officially opened in October.

The new bridge and link, funded by Sustrans, are a key part of the Claypits Local Nature Reserve project, connecting local communities and giving access to the canal. The Claypits project, an urban oasis of 25 acres of woodland and wetland, is due to fully open in spring 2021.

At Stockingfield Junction, where the Glasgow Arm branches off the mainline of the Forth & Clyde running into the city, a new pedestrian bridge – to link the communities of Maryhill, Ruchill and Gilshochill – begins construction with temporary closure of the canal and towpaths from November. The canal will be reopened to boaters in March 2021 although sections of the towpath will remain closed until July 2022, with diversionary routes signposted.

Scottish Canals’ Asset Management Strategy lays out plans for investment up to 2030, setting out how the organisation will manage and prioritise works on the canals and associated infrastructure.

The organisation faces a considerable repair backlog in excess of £70 million and the strategy shows Scottish Canals’ plans to ensure both the safety of the public and the long-term sustainability of Scotland’s inland waterways.

The winter stoppage programme and details of the Asset Management

Strategy can be found at scottishcanals. co.uk