Major canal restoration work to begin within days
Key restoration work to an unnavigable stretch of the Montgomery Canal is set to start within days.
Dredging of the canal south of Llanymynech is to begin next week, with the aim of refilling it with water for boats and wildlife.
The 4.4 mile stretch is currently unnavigable and the dredging is the first stage in a £14 million project that will see the rebuilding of two bridges to remove obstructions to the canal and the creation of three substantial off-line nature reserves, to protect the canal's natural heritage as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
The restoration aims to restore the channel so that navigation will eventually be possible – and although it will not enable the section to connect to other restored stretches of the canal, it is considered a vital part of the project.
Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust has welcomed the imminent start of the Canal & River Trust work – being carried out under the Government’s Levelling-Up Fund.
The dredging will be a carefully tailored programme, phased over the next two years.
Michael Limbrey, chairman of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, said: “It is very exciting to see work start on the first major restoration of the canal in Wales for some years. The funding from the UK Government’s Levelling-Up Fund follows visits by ministers invited to the canal by Craig Williams MP and Russell George SM.
