Date set for re-opening of canal after shocking Whitchurch breach

The section of Llangollen Canal destroyed in a catastrophic breach in December last year is expected to reopen in March 2027, it has been announced.

Waterways charity, Canal & River Trust, which has been carrying out a major engineering project to fix the Whitchurch section of the canal, has confirmed the date.

The trust said it has completed ground investigations, engineering surveys and detailed design work and is now “well advanced with the rebuild of the embankment”.

In a statement it said: “Importantly, the canal is expected to reopen ahead of Easter, allowing businesses and visitors to benefit from the start of the main boating and tourism season.”

The shocking December collapse saw two boats swallowed by a huge chasm, as millions of litres of water poured into a neighbouring field, with a further boat left teetering on the edge of the hole.

The charity said that since the breach it has spent several million pounds in the response, making the site safe, carrying out extensive investigations and developing the engineering solution needed to rebuild the canal.

It said the process has included maintaining the flow of around 40 million litres of water every day around the breach site.

A statement from the trust said: “Maintaining this flow remains essential, not only for navigation but also because the Llangollen Canal plays a critical role in supplying fresh water to homes and businesses across Cheshire.”

The next phase of construction, in partnership with Kier, will see the collapsed embankment and canal channel rebuilt using modern engineering techniques not available when the canal was originally constructed more than 200 years ago.

Reinforced layers within the new embankment will improve its long-term strength and resilience, helping to protect the historic waterway against increasingly extreme weather and the effects of climate change.

Campbell Robb, chief executive at Canal & River Trust, said: "When the embankment failed just before Christmas last year it caused significant damage to one of the country's best-loved canals. Since then, our teams and partners have worked tirelessly to understand exactly what is required to rebuild it and return navigation.

"We can now look ahead to a reopening date with increased confidence. We have completed the detailed investigations, developed a comprehensive engineering solution and are progressing well towards reopening the canal in March 2027.

"Most importantly, businesses, boaters and local communities can have increased confidence of this popular canal being open from Easter 2027. While there remains a huge amount of work to do, this marks an important milestone in bringing the Llangollen Canal back stronger and more resilient for the future."

The trust said work is progressing well on site, with the embankment rebuild expected to be completed before Christmas.

A concrete base will then be laid ahead of the construction of a new canal channel - a phase of work will take place after Christmas.

The trust added that although it has set a date for the completion of the project, factors outside of its control could impact the timescale.

It said: “As with all major construction projects, progress remains dependent on the weather conditions. Canal & River Trust will continue to provide updates on the works and the anticipated reopening date as the project progresses.”