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Kennet & Avon breach, Burghfield lock


Dave123

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On 31/10/2021 at 16:43, Jim Batty said:

Thanks.

 

No, I hadn't seen that. Very interesting. I hadn't realise that there had been a small breach there since 2019. I had read that people were complaining how low Holy Brook was its full length. Not good. 

There's also been a small cruiser stuck on that weir for at least the same amount of time and probably caused the build up of debris which in turn caused the small breach.

 

 

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Update on 04/11/2021:

 

Please be advised that our contractors are now on site working to repair the breach at Burghfield Weir.

We will be working 7 days a week in order to restore water levels and open up navigation.

The Environment Agency have installed pumps into Holly Brook ready to provide a flow of water into the brook if water levels subside, and are closely monitoring the situation.

We will be publishing photos of the work as they progress to our twitter feed via the below link.

https://twitter.com/CRTWalesandSW/status/1455912776203968516 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Latest Info:

 

There's a crew down from Birmingham improving a track around the Theale Waterskiing Club lake in order to get access to the breach site on the K&A. I reckon the track in is about 2Km long, and there appears to be a heck of a lot of gravel going onto it to firm it up. The improved track is now about halfway complete, and they expect to arrive opposite the breach at the end of this week.

 

Not much is known about the temporary fix or the timing of it (the back fill of the breach, to get the canal water level up). This is what we boaters are waiting for. This could be down to the fact that different crews can be working on this from week to week. There is apparently a bit of a hold-up signing off the plans for the permanent repair -- in regards to choosing stonework and various materials for the final design. 

 

Although the CRT Twitter account reports work going on here 7 days a week, I'm not sure this is the case, because all of the diggers and front end loaders and other vehicles were tightly locked away in an ad hoc compound on Saturday when I wandered up there to take a look. 

 

Fingers still crossed. 

 

Burghfield-Breach-Map.jpg

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Yea, well, there was even less going on Saturday and Sunday! Everything was locked up in their ad hoc compound. 

 

I'll apologise if there's serious and intense brainwork and planning taking place across the weekend ... but this 'working seven days a week to get it finished' business seems to be stretching it. Ho hum.

 

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21 hours ago, Jim Batty said:

Yea, well, there was even less going on Saturday and Sunday! Everything was locked up in their ad hoc compound. 

 

I'll apologise if there's serious and intense brainwork and planning taking place across the weekend ... but this 'working seven days a week to get it finished' business seems to be stretching it. Ho hum.

 

Indeed! They've made the cycle route a lot more comfortable though, apart from blocking it with those machines that is.

 

Keith

 

Edited by Steilsteven
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  • 3 weeks later...

Notice Alert

Kennet & Avon Canal
Location: Lock 102 Garston, to Lock 103 Burghfield
Starts At: Lock 103, Burghfield Lock
Ends At: Lock 102, Garston Lock

Tuesday 30 November 2021 16:00 until Monday 13 December 2021 12:00

Type: Navigation Closure
Reason: Structure failure


 

Update on 09/12/2021:

 

We are pleased to advise that all bank repair works at Burghfield Weir have now been completed.

Our teams continue to work removing the artificial causeway from the river bed to facilitate the opening of the navigation and increase in water levels.

Navigation will reopen at 12:00 on Monday 13th December.

Please see below link for photos and videos of the works as they have progressed.

https://twitter.com/CRTWalesandSW 

Please contact us on enquiries.walessouthwest@canalrivertrust.org.uk if you would like to discuss this information with a member of our Customer Service Team 

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It is open now. We came up past the repaired breach on Monday. And there's been a few boats each day going in either direction. 

 

The repair was apparently straight-forward: pile driving with gravel backfill. The time-consuming part (over a month) was firming up a 2km stretch of earth track around the Theale waterskiing lake to get to the breach, then building/removing a causeway across the weir stream. 

 

Yes, I'm glad the contractors have done a great job in repairing it. I'm not fully thrilled with CRT, though, as we were sent overstaying notices while trapped between the Burghfield breach and Fobney Lock (where the gates were being replaced). And the determined ambiguity in reporting timing of the works made planning extremely difficult. (A number of people have lost money on moorings they haven't been able to reach.)

 

Happy to be cruising again! Good winter weather for it at the moment.

 

 

  • Greenie 1
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21 hours ago, Dave123 said:

I wonder if this breach had to be given higher priority as it was on a river not a canal? Possibility it could have impacted management of flood water if not repaired?

Most likely because there are houses immediately below the weir, it was lucky that there has been very little rainfall since it first breached.

 

Keith

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