Middlewood Progress
Fran Littlewood - Senior Project Engineer

Following the long delays over the past six months, with heavy downpours and lengthy Network Rail approval processes, the end is finally in sight and the Middlewood Locks section of the MB&BC will be practically complete by the end of July. The past couple of months has seen a frenzy of work on site. The contractor (Volker Stevin) has worked overtime and weekends bringing in more skilled labour on the site to enable various works to be completed.

The photographs in the latest magazine were taken on the day of the break-through of the tunnel, with others showing some of the other work that has been carried out. Whilst keeping an eye on the opening date we have also tried to incorporate some sustainable development into the canal. There has been significant reuse of materials on site including:

• Lock 3 has new copings reclaimed from masonry on site
• The off cuts from the copings at Lock 3 have been used to face the abutments of old Bloody Bridge
• The good qaulity natural clay taken from the site has been used to line the bed of the canal where a new liner would have been required
• Sand excavated from under the Inner Relief Road (the Margaret Fletcher Tunnel) and sand extracted for piling has been used all over site as backfill material behind new washwalls and also behind the new highways bridge adjacent to the river
• Some of the original masonry washwalls (including original Lock 1) have been grouted and pointed for re-use
• Concrete material from site has been crushed and some reused, the rest will be recycled off site

This reuse of materials retains part of the hreitage of the site, whilst also being environmentally firendly. The merging of old and new structures has been a challenge. Although there are no listed structures, the character of the old canal has been retained and the new structures compliment them.

On a more cautionary note, the removal of the BT cables under East Ordsall Lane bridge is taking longer than expected. The cables are being removed by BT at their own cost under an existing agreement with British Waterways.

The official opening will by 19th September 2008; an event is in the process of being organised to celebrate the opening of Middlewood Locks and the Margaret Fletcher Tunnel.