Calder & Hebble flooding repairs

[Mac of Cygnet]

I went to Elland yesterday to take a look at progress on the damaged bridge. They're not hanging about - the temporary footbridge is in place and a utilities bridge is being constructed on the other side. All stops seem to be being pulled out and the construction/demolition site seems enormous for one canal bridge - the river bridge which is much bigger and more substantial seems undamaged.

 

Also took a walk down to Park Nook lock to look at the situation there. The lock itself seems OK, but the towpath is a mess - this has happened before here, but it seems much worse this time because of all the beautiful new tarmac which was laid last year. It hasn't deterred the cyclists, though, judging by the tyre tracks through the wreckage. The boat just below the lock is still up on the offside bank, but some of the larger trees it was lodged behind have now been taken down. It's going to be tricky to get it back in the water, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2016 by Mac of Cygnet

[John V]

128 views.......No replies...... Well if no one will thank you.

 

Thankyou for updating us Mac and posting those excellent pictures

[frangar]

128 views.......No replies...... Well if no one will thank you.

 

Thankyou for updating us Mac and posting those excellent pictures

Indeed. Thought I had replied. I obviously just thought about it!

 

Great pics. Thanks for taking them & keeping us informed.

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[8 Hairy Feet]

Hi Mac... thanks for those, although it makes

me feel a bit sad looking.

I hope all is ok at Sowerby and I am led to believe it

is ...was going to have a recce over to Shawplains and see

what the situation there is... we will see.

s x

[Markinaboat]

Hi Mac... thanks for those, although it makes

me feel a bit sad looking.

I hope all is ok at Sowerby and I am led to believe it

is ...was going to have a recce over to Shawplains and see

what the situation there is... we will see.

s x

Sadly, I heard that it was my old boat/home 'Bristol Fashion' that took the bridge out on Boxing Day IIRC. Twas a 51' Roger Apperley Dutch narrowbeam, beautiful lines and construction. Two lovely young ladies lost not just their home and all belongings but also their much loved cat Robin. Very sad.

[hargreaves07]

Hi

 

Myself and another volunteer from Wigan went across to help on a big volunteer day about 3 weeks back. The tarmac that you can see just below the lock had been ripped up and was upside down! There was a huge sort of vortex hole underneath where the water had eddied down that was probably the best part of 5ft deep.

 

The boat that is lodged in the trees had come over the lock and I think the boater who is a liveaboard had mangaged to get the boat into the trees. Otherwise he may have ended up in Leeds. He must have been terryfied. Most of the damage was caused by the River Calder which runs parallel to the canal along a narrow valley which had burst its banks and effectively the canal had become the river.

 

I havent seen the rest of the damage but from about Walsden right down past Leeds wherever the river has got into the canal then there is destruction.It will take a long time to fix and cost a lot of money.

[Mac of Cygnet]

Good God, I hadn't realised that the boat had been steered into the trees! Terrifying indeed.

[David Mack]

I havent seen the rest of the damage but from about Walsden right down past Leeds wherever the river has got into the canal then there is destruction.It will take a long time to fix and cost a lot of money.

 

Yup. This is the breach on the Rochdale just below Woodhouse Mill between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. Picture taken a couple of weeks ago, so not sure how much progress has been made in fixing it.

 

 

Edited February 20, 2016 by David Mack

[DoesNotFloat]

Walked past Fall Ing Lock today, looked very busy with stop planks in both ends, multiple big pumps, crane and lots of workers on site.

[DaveP]

Walked past Fall Ing Lock today, looked very busy with stop planks in both ends, multiple big pumps, crane and lots of workers on site.

 

Yup, work started on Wednesday. Top gates out (the beams, which have been chopped off, will probably be made into two benches for the lawns), new gates delivered to site. Stairs going in at the moment (open day on Sat 5th March). As well as replacing the top gates, rumour has it that the bottom cill will be looked at as well after the problems last year.

[Jim Riley]

I remember bringing my mates cruiser from Castleford to Sowerby marina in 2001 or so, on our first boat trip. The Fall Ings bottom gates had just been replaced, 11 tonnes each. The top gates and paddles have needed doing for a few years