Briefing: Vehicle strikes to historic canal bridges

The majority of Britain’s canal network dates from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century and contains many examples of the vision and skills of the engineers of that period. One notable feature of the network is the hundreds of simple bridges that cross the canals. Constructed over 200 years ago, these bridges were designed to carry, at most, small-scale horse-drawn traffic. However, with both vehicle size and dependence on satellite navigation systems increasing, these historic structures are suffering impact damage that is eroding the historic fabric and costing British Waterways an estimated £2·5 million each year to repair. This paper considers the issue of bridge strikes on the Lancaster canal in the north west of England, and outlines how British Waterways are seeking to promote partnerships with communities and regulatory authorities to minimise damage. When such repairs are completed they are often required to be undertaken at short notice, in inclement weather and under pressure to secure reopening. The paper thus also details how British Waterways has worked to develop and trial processes and specifications that allow the sympathetic repair of such historic structures using traditional materials and methods under the constraints mentioned above.