Whitchurch Breach - CRT Update
Update 16 March 2026, 11:37am
A suitably graded access ramp and turning area have now been completed. This will enable safer and more efficient delivery of materials, removing the need for vehicles to reverse onto the A41 trunk road. With this in place, construction of the compound area and safe machine access to the canal can now progress.
Over the coming weeks, our team will begin removing trench sheets that were damaged during the breach. At the same time, ground investigations will be carried out to assess conditions and determine which materials can be reused as part of the repair. Major excavation work within the breach cannot begin until these investigations are complete, although machinery will be on site to undertake trial pits and provide access for borehole rigs.
Approximately 13 million litres of water have already been pumped from the flooded field into the adjacent foul sewer. A fish rescue is scheduled for this week, after which the remaining water will be fully pumped away. Once this is complete, we will be able to clear and inspect the blocked culvert that passes beneath the canal.
Vegetation clearance along both embankments have also been completed. This has included the felling of one mature oak tree and the trimming of a further five oak trees to create the necessary working area for the embankment reconstruction. Over‑pumping continues, with approximately 34 megalitres of canal water pumped past the breach last week.
