A BURST WATER MAIN has closed the Leigh Branch of the Leeds & Liverpool Canal.
With United Utilities stating it is a huge and complicated engineering project to repair, I Dugald Campbell reports.
Under canal bed
The burst main is actually under the canal bed hence its closure, and making it difficult to repair.
United Utilities and Canal & River Trust are both involved in the operation, with a United Utilities spokesman explaining:
"It is a complex job, but the main has now been isolated and our teams will be working as quickly as they can to carry out the repairs.
"Work can then start on mending the pipe before further engineering work will have to be carried out to ensure the canal itself doesn’t then leak when refilled."
No intimation
There is no intimation when the work will be completed, but with two separate jobs involved, repairing the pipe and then the canal, it is expected to take some time.