Repairing the Llangollen Canal breach near New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch, is expected by the Canal & River Trust to cost several million pounds and occupy most of 2026, severely disrupting navigation on this key feeder from the River Dee. Engineers will need to dewater and stabilise the affected pound, reconstruct the failed canal bank and towpath, and reinstate clay lining and embankment drainage to prevent further leakage. The scale and duration signal significant geotechnical investigation and temporary works to manage soft ground and maintain adjacent infrastructure.

Ground preparation is under way to tackle sub‑optimal geology ahead of Lower Thames Crossing tunnelling, with drives under the river not due to start until late 2028. Tunnels director Alastair Lewis is sequencing works to deal with weak alluvium and variable chalk, aiming to stabilise the alignment before launching large‑diameter TBMs for the twin road tunnels. Early treatment of poor ground conditions is intended to reduce settlement risk for the approaches and portals and to de‑risk TBM performance beneath the Thames.

A catastrophic breach on the Llangollen Canal near New Mills Lift Bridge, Whitchurch has drained a long pound and damaged the embankment, despite recent routine inspections reporting no visible defects. Engineers from the Canal & River Trust are now investigating potential failure mechanisms, including internal erosion, leakage paths and historic construction weaknesses in the canal lining and embankment core. The incident raises immediate questions over current visual inspection regimes for ageing UK canal earthworks and whether more frequent intrusive or remote condition monitoring is needed on high-consequence reaches.