Work has started in earnest on Britain’s most beautiful short cut’s winter maintenance.
The Crinan Canal, which opened in 1801, is a nine-mile navigation from Ardrishaig on Loch Gilp to the Sound of Jura at Crinan with numerous locks, bridges and swing bridges along the way.
Locks 14, 15 and the Crinan Basin itself will be drained with ‘stop planks’ installed downstream of lock 15.
This kind of heavy work needs some heavy lifting and a 130-tonne over-lock crane has been installed in a first for Scottish Canals; this method of working has been used elsewhere but rarely on such a major scale.
The plant was delivered in sections at the end of October and transported along the canal from lock 10 to lock 15 to minimise local disruption. Scottish Canals and contractors Mackenzie Construction worked in conjunction with Argyll and Bute Council develop the innovative method of working in order to minimise road closures and delays.
This came about after feedback from people living along and around the canal about the problems caused by prolonged road closures.
Richard Millar, Scottish Canals chief operating officer, said: “We are delighted to see the over-lock crane platform in action after a year’s collaborative effort, and to see it already making a huge impact on the winter works.
“While the winter works programme is essential in safeguarding the Crinan Canal and all the benefits it brings to the area, we are determined to continue minimising disruption for the local community. The crane platform is a fantastic innovation meaning we no longer have to position the crane on the road which significantly reduces the need for road closures.”
The crane carried out its first lifting operations, working with a second 130-tonne crane at lock 14, to lift the new lock 15 gates into position ready to be installed.
Next, the crane worked with divers at the ‘stop-plank’ site downstream of lock 15, installing a sealing plate at the bottom of the stop-plank grooves in the canal walls.
The large stop planks were floated by pontoon along the canal to lock 15, where the crane on the platform lifted and placed them one at a time across the canal, lowering them into grooves; the planks stack together horizontally to create a dam.
The crane then helped meet another project milestone, successfully completing the complex operation to lift the old gates out of lock 15.
“We actively approach planned works with a focus on minimising disruption to the local residents and community, creating innovative new approaches for delivering the project requirement,” said Mark Wilson, construction director at Mackenzie Construction.
“Having worked on the Crinan Canal for a number of years, we were determined to work closely with Scottish Canals and Argyll and Bute Council to minimise road closures and the over-lock platform will do just that.”
The extended temporary closure beside the Crinan Basin has now finished, and Scottish Canals does not anticipate any further long closure periods in the near future.
“Please keep in mind that the road closure permission process allows for closures as required during the winter works programme – if a short temporary closure is required for any reason, such as the gate lifts, this will be indicated by signs on the ground,” said Mr Millar.
Crinan Basin remains fenced off for the duration of the works programme, with additional safety fencing will be installed around the edge of the basin before ‘dewatering’.
But don’t worry about the fish; specialists are catching and releasing them from the canal sections as the work progresses.
SIDE BAR
Members of Scottish Canals’ environment team and Heart of Argyll Wildlife had a community event planned yesterday (Thursday) along with engineers from Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction to explain more about the winter works programme on the canal; how and why they dewater the canal and the need to carry out these works. It was also planned to show people how the fish relocation work is carried out.
The next community forum meeting will be in January, once again at the Egg Shed, Ardrishaig, date to be announced.
Follow the work on the Scottish Canals website. You can also find more general information and updates about the works online on their Ongoing Works page and updates on the Crinan Canal Facebook page and the Scottish Canals’ Facebook page.
The Crinan Canal was originally planned for the fishing fleet and commerce, mainly puffers, to avoid the long route and rough seas around the Mull of Kintyre, but Queen Victoria’s 1847 journey along the canal from Ardrishaig to meet the Royal yacht for her Highland holiday turned the canal into a tourist attraction for holiday makers and day trippers on steamers from Glasgow. The canal was cannily marketed as ‘The Royal Route’ and up to 40,000 tourists a year visited Ardrishaig at the height of its popularity.
The canal has been featured on numerous travel programmes including Great Canal Journeys, Britain and the Sea and Coast.
