Wigan Flight Closure 3rd-14th July

[Ianws]

Notice Alert

Leeds & Liverpool Canal
Location: Navigation Closure: Lock 69, Wigan Flight, Leeds & Liverpool Canal
Starts At: Lock 85, Lock 21
Ends At: Lock 65, Top Lock

Monday 3 July 2023 08:00 until Friday 14 July 2023 17:00

Type: Navigation Closure
Reason: Repair

---

 

Original message:

 

Over the recent weeks our teams have been investigating fluctuating water levels between Lock 65, Top Lock of the Wigan Flight and Lock 66, Johnsons Hillock on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Our local operations team and engineers have identified severe leakage through the head and tail gates of Lock 69 on the Wigan Flight, as a result causing low water levels through this stretch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.

Our teams and engineers have planned a repair to fix the leakage at Lock 69. We plan to carry out these works starting on Monday 3 July until Friday 14 July.

Unfortunately, due to other arising rising urgent repairs our Reactive Team are unable to prioritise this sooner. However, navigation will remain open until Sunday 2 July and you can find our Summer Operating Times here.

To ensure the safety of our customers during this closure padlocks will be placed on Lock 85, Bottom Lock and Lock 65, Top Lock to prevent access on to the Wigan flight.

We’re extremely sorry for the disruption this closure will have on your plans to travel along the Leeds & Liverpool Canal during this very busy month of boating. However, this essential work will help to maintain a navigable water level between Lock 65, Top Lock and Lock 66, Johnsons Hillock and prevent us from using extra water during the summer period.

If you are affected by this planned closure, please contact the North West Customer Support Team on 0303 040 4040 or via our online webform, before Monday 19 June 2023.

[jonathanA]

I wondered if anyone knew if all the work they did over winter had improved the situation at the bottom of the Wigan flight/Poolstock ?

 

I  saw this stoppage this morning :

 

 

Original message:

Please be advised navigation is closed, following vandalism to Poolstock Lock where the paddles have been left open, the pound between Lock 1, Top Lock on the Leigh Branch and Lock 86 on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal is severely low on water.

The local team are aware and onsite feeding water down to the affected area. We anticipate this will take most of today to regain a navigable level.

An update will be provided this tomorrow 16 June. 

 

in fairness it might be a genuine case of the paddles left open, 

[magpie patrick]

How is leakage at lock 69 affecting water levels above lock 65* - or more precisely how was this happening without them knowing that was the problem? I can see the top lock might leak like a sieve and not be obvious, but they should have known they were letting a lot of water down to the pound above 69.

 

*BTW Lock 65 is Wigan top, but 66 is NOT Johnson's Hillock! That's 64-58

[Ianws]

1 hour ago, magpie patrick said:

How is leakage at lock 69 affecting water levels above lock 65* - or more precisely how was this happening without them knowing that was the problem? I can see the top lock might leak like a sieve and not be obvious, but they should have known they were letting a lot of water down to the pound above 69.

 

*BTW Lock 65 is Wigan top, but 66 is NOT Johnson's Hillock! That's 64-58

I can't answer your question but levels have been very low where I'm moored near Chorley. As I don't live aboard I've been leaving the mooring ropes looser than I would like, in case the level rises to its normal height. 

There was another alert yesterday relating to the Wigan Flight. 

 

Excerpt from the alert

 

Please be advised navigation is closed along the Wigan Flight, Lock 65 to Lock 85, on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal due to a blown cill at Lock 68.

Our teams are currently investigating and a further update will be provided tomorrow, Thursday 15 June.

[Jonkx]

And there's been an update now due to problems with Lock 68 the whole flight has closed. They're planning to to do that and the lock 69 repairs over the next 3 weeks.

 

Notice Alert

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Location: Navigation Closure: Wigan Flight, Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Starts At: Lock 65, Top Lock

Ends At: Lock 85, Lock 21

 

Wednesday 14 June 2023 09:00 until further notice

 

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Repair

 

Update on 15/06/2023:

Our contractors will be onsite at Lock 68 along the Wigan Flight early next week to set up the fabric dams and scaffolding to repair the blown cill. Following this, our team will be onsite to start the repairs.

 

Whilst the Wigan Flight is closed to repair Lock 68, we have taken this opportunity to carry out the planned works to repair Lock 69 at the same time to minimise disruption to our customers.

 

We anticipate these repair works will take 3 weeks to complete.

 

An update on progress made will be provided by Tuesday 27 June.

PS if this is now the case, it might be worth changing the title of this thread to reflect that the Lock Flight has already closed. 

[PeterF]

On 15/06/2023 at 11:25, jonathanA said:

I wondered if anyone knew if all the work they did over winter had improved the situation at the bottom of the Wigan flight/Poolstock ?

 

We went through Poolstock in April and again in May and the levels were much better than the same time last year. The water was right up to the bywash weir level, although not much was going over the bywashes.

[Ianws]

4 hours ago, Jonkx said:

And there's been an update now due to problems with Lock 68 the whole flight has closed. They're planning to to do that and the lock 69 repairs over the next 3 weeks.

 

Notice Alert

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Location: Navigation Closure: Wigan Flight, Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Starts At: Lock 65, Top Lock

Ends At: Lock 85, Lock 21

 

Wednesday 14 June 2023 09:00 until further notice

 

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Repair

 

Update on 15/06/2023:

Our contractors will be onsite at Lock 68 along the Wigan Flight early next week to set up the fabric dams and scaffolding to repair the blown cill. Following this, our team will be onsite to start the repairs.

 

Whilst the Wigan Flight is closed to repair Lock 68, we have taken this opportunity to carry out the planned works to repair Lock 69 at the same time to minimise disruption to our customers.

 

We anticipate these repair works will take 3 weeks to complete.

 

An update on progress made will be provided by Tuesday 27 June.

PS if this is now the case, it might be worth changing the title of this thread to reflect that the Lock Flight has already closed. 

4 hours ago, Jonkx said:

And there's been an update now due to problems with Lock 68 the whole flight has closed. They're planning to to do that and the lock 69 repairs over the next 3 weeks.

 

Notice Alert

Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Location: Navigation Closure: Wigan Flight, Leeds & Liverpool Canal

Starts At: Lock 65, Top Lock

Ends At: Lock 85, Lock 21

 

Wednesday 14 June 2023 09:00 until further notice

 

Type: Navigation Closure

Reason: Repair

 

Update on 15/06/2023:

Our contractors will be onsite at Lock 68 along the Wigan Flight early next week to set up the fabric dams and scaffolding to repair the blown cill. Following this, our team will be onsite to start the repairs.

 

Whilst the Wigan Flight is closed to repair Lock 68, we have taken this opportunity to carry out the planned works to repair Lock 69 at the same time to minimise disruption to our customers.

 

We anticipate these repair works will take 3 weeks to complete.

 

An update on progress made will be provided by Tuesday 27 June.

PS if this is now the case, it might be worth changing the title of this thread to reflect that the Lock Flight has already closed. 

@buccaneer66 is usually good at updating threads.It's good CRT have joined these pieces of work together, but I'd have been disappointed if they hadn't in the circumstances.

.