SUMMER 2015 News | Freight | Restoration
Warwickshire Branch Opposes Footbridge Demolition
New Bridge at Mapledurham
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Coventry Basin.
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WA Warwickshire Branch was among many organisations and local residents opposing plans to demolish a footbridge which gives access for pedestrians to and from Coventry Basin. Removal of the footbridge and the replacement of it with a pedestrian crossing were part of plans to redesign Junction 1 of the Coventry ring road that would have seen some of the ring road traffic re-routed past canal basin businesses to create a slip-road. The plans were largely objected to because of safety concerns associated with pedestrians having to use a crossing rather than the footbridge. Residents of
flats near the proposed development were also concerned their properties could end up on an island surrounded by traffic. However, the latest developments have seen proposed plans halted, as the local council focuses on other projects it expects to get European funding for. Nevertheless, the Council has said it will return to the proposals in the future and that they remain in its long term plan. It also stated that it is aware of the concern the proposals have caused and can use this time to reconsider the details of the plans in light of comments made. IWA Warwickshire Branch continues to monitor the situation.
Webcams on the River Ouse in York
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WA North Riding Branch is keen to promote a useful service available to boaters and the general public that could help when planning journeys to York on the River Ouse. There are two webcams installed along the River Ouse: one at King’s Staith, courtesy of the Lowther Public House, and the other by York City Rowing Club overlooking Museum Gardens towpath, courtesy of the rowing club. Both can be accessed online and could potentially help in planning a boat journey to York, where it is difficult to moor when the river is in flood. With the ability to easily look Summer 2015
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he Environment Agency has awarded ECS Engineering Services a project to design, build and install a new bridge to replace the current structure at Mapledurham Weir on the River Thames near Reading. The proposed design from ECS will use proprietary technology to construct a strong, lightweight and durable structure using fibre reinforced polymer (FRP). When completed, the new bridge should improve the capacity of the local access routes to the Mapledurham Weir and lock complex, as the current structure has insufficient capacity for modern vehicles. Other benefits of the use of FRP in the bridge design include a reduction in build and installation times, a significant reduction in the need for maintenance over the lifetime of the bridge, which is expected to be in excess of 100 years, a 50-year limited warranty on construction and 10-year limited warranty on surface wear.
River Avon Dredged in Bath
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The Ouse in central York – where two webcams have been installed.
at the current situation, boaters could aim for an alternative destination at short notice should river levels suddenly change. View the York City Rowing Club webcam by visiting www.ycrc.co.uk; for the King’s Staith version go to www. farsondigitalwatercoms.com/locations/ york.
he River Avon in Bath has been dredged for the first time in 20 years to help reduce the flood risk to 238 properties in the city centre. The Environment Agency focused the dredging on the stretch between Windsor and Victoria bridges, after the Agency carried out a survey of flood defences. Large objects abandoned in the river were a hazard to navigation and increased flood risk by disrupting water flow; this project has removed in excess of 120 trollies, cars and mopeds. Work began in mid April and was completed by the end of the month.
IWA waterways |
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