Shropshire road ‘likely to be closed all weekend’ after canal collapse

A road in north Shropshire is “likely” to be closed all weekend following the breach of a canal bank.

Shropshire Council say the B5063 near Ellesmere could be closed for the rest of the weekend as contractors scramble to repair another breach of the Llangollen Canal.

The incident, which involved the failure of a culvert underneath the canal, happened at around 10am on Thursday (November 12).

But the drama escalated that evening, after the culvert on the bank of the canal deteriorated and some residents were evacuated from their homes.

It is the second major canal breach along the Llangollen in Shropshire in less than a year, after an embankment collapsed in Whitchurch in December 2025.

In the aftermath of the most recent incident, the B5063 was closed between Welshampton and Northwood, and a diversion was put into place along the A495, A528 and B4397.

Shropshire Council said the closure was “likely to be in place all weekend”.

A council spokesperson added: “The road closure will enable the Canal and River Trust and their contractor to access the site and carry out repair work.

“People are asked to keep away from the site while this work is underway.”