Hope for Wilts & Berks M4 bridge
Wichelstowe / Swindon work, this could create a significant length of restored canal if only the M4 crossing could be built to connect it up. The latest news is that the same Highways England fund is paying £42,000 towards a feasibility study into putting in a navigable culvert under the motorway. It’s a relatively modest sum compared to the £4m for the Cotswold Canals, but WBCT reckons it could be a real game-changer in finding a solution to a blockage which has left the Trust’s vision for reopening the canal “clouded for many years by uncertainty”.
This is actually a combination of the ‘housing’ and ‘roads’ themes. But first, a bit of background... The Wilts & Berks Canal was always going to be a tricky one to restore, given that at all three of its extremities (Melksham at the west end, Abingdon at the east, and Cricklade at the north end of its North Wilts Canal branch) it’s been obstructed by urban development, and diversions will be necessary to re-connect it to the Kennet & Avon, River Thames and Cotswold Canals respectively. To make matters worse, right in the middle where the Wilts & Berks and the Railway comes to Derby’s aid North Wilts met, is Swindon - and a chunk of canal lies buried under it. And then, immedi- Last time we rather played down the likeliately south west of Swindon, is what will be hood of railway projects supporting canal one of the most difficult / expensive new restoration - but one has popped up in the transport crossings needed to reopen the news since then. Network Rail is investing canal, where it’s blocked by the M4 motor£350,000 to help restore a section of the way. historic Draycott length of the Derby Canal to Many years ago Wilts & Berks Canal reduce flooding on the railway, rebuild heritTrust identified possible diversionary routes age and create new recreational facilities for or both canals around the west and south locals and tourists alike. side of Swindon; more recently an imaginaThe section to be restored, known tive new alternative idea proposed reinstatlocally as the Golden Mile, was infilled in the ing some urban lengths on a new route 1960s after the canal shut. In 1999, a drainmuch closer to the original line, by pedestriage ditch was installed along the canal route anising some of Swindon’s streets, and addto help to prevent flooding on the nearby ing a new canal channel dug down the midMidland Main Line, which connects Derby dle of the road. and London. Whilst this did help, increased Meanwhile to the south side of the rainfall has seen the railway flooded 19 times town, a major expansion of the urban area is in the past eight years, costing around £2milunder way. Consisting of several phases of lion and causing over 357 hours of delays for construction, the Wichelstowe developments passengers. are adding some thousands of new homes Work on the scheme has now started on an area which includes parts of the origiand will see a 1.1km stretch of canal renal canal and parts of Swindon M4 proposed the east-west motorway diversionary route for Access road the restored waterway. for new And already some housing lengths have been restored, and new ones built, as part of the first Proposed phase of this work. new canal Meanwhile to the route south west of Swindon, several lengths have Original been restored reaching canal route as far as Royal Wootton Bassett, including rebuilding Chadderton (West Summit) lock. Plans for getting the Wilts & Berks Canal across the M4 near Swindon Combined with the
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