Following the soil removal at Tamworth Road Narrows in February, the team focused on getting more concrete laid for the base of the canal and constructing the towpath canal walls, both bricklaying and backfilling.
By the end of March they had got as far as they could go while the Big Pipe was still there so they shifted their focus to prepare for its exciting removal.
A temporary weir was constructed with pipework to redirect the water away from the canal bed and discharge it downstream. Once this was in place it was ready for the Big Pipe to come out.
For years the Big Pipe has been a thorn in our side, but with a lot of work by our volunteers it was removed from Tamworth Road Narrows in one day!
The removal process was no small feat. It required meticulous planning and teamwork. The sheer size and complexity of the task made it a historic moment. The team removed six sections by 11am and all sections up to the temporary weir were gone by the end of the day.
Its removal means that the team has been able to start work on the offside. They are now continuing to concrete the base and build the brickwork of the canal wall, cutting in where it was left last year. Pretty soon they will be working adjacent to the culvert works at Cricket Lane – exciting times!
This first appeared in Cut Both Ways, our members’ magazine.
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