It's OPEN again
See the Canal & River Trust’s “Diary of a Breach” Blog for the (usually weekly) updates on how the repairs proceeded by following this link :- http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/features/diary-of-a-breach (opens in a new window).
Anyone wanting to make a donation should follow the “Help us repair this breach” link on C&RT’s “Diary of a Breach” page.
Brief news on progress (most recent first)
(Note that clicking on a small picture will show that picture larger, but NOT at better quality)
Friday 3rd May 2013 - Open to navigation as normal.
Thursday 2nd May 2013 - Opened "Live on the One Show".
Wednesday 18th April 2013 - Restoration of Milepost 90 completed.
Tuesday 12th March 2013 - The society has agreed to restore the Milepost 90 which was moved and damaged by the breach. Here it is seen in happier days long before the breach, and then (as recovered from the debris) on the Open Weekend. The old pictures are courtesy of Phil Myott's interesting website about all the T&M mileposts www.tmc-mileposts.co.uk (click to view in new window).
Monday 3rd December 2012 - C&RT finally allowed machine access to the site at Dutton Hollow.
Tuesday 27th November 2012 - Canal reopened at Croxton Flash a few days earlier than the planned.
Friday 2nd November 2012 - Work going well at Croxton with reopening date brought forward to "start of December", but delays in getting permission for access to the site at Dutton Hollow had pushed the reopening date there back to "hopefully Easter".
Thursday18th October 2012 - Anticipated reopening dates of Christmas for Croxton and Spring for Dutton.
Friday 5th October 2012 - Visit by BBC & Granada Film Crews to the site of the breach. (Photos: Roger Evans)
Tree Stump swept into Hole Film Crew looking into hole Cameraman at work Looking towards breach
Tuesday 25th September 2012 - Following a period of heavy sustained rainfall in late September 2012 the Trent and Mersey Canal suffered a major breach at Dutton Hollow (near Bridge 213, south of Preston Brook), and also had to be closed for repair where significant damage was done to a supporting embankment at Croxton Flash near Middlewich. The Initial rough estimate for the repair work was £1.5 million.