Reconstruction work on a collapsed canal embankment in Whitchurch is due to begin imminently.
Teams working under the Canal and River Trust (CRT) have been busy for several weeks now at the site near Chemistry, where the Llangollen Canal was breached shortly before Christmas last year.
An update from CRT this week revealed that the next stage of the project will focus on the embankment.
They said: "Our contractors have now completed the removal of around 4,000 tonnes of sand and regraded the field that was previously flooded.
"The buried culvert has been fully cleared and is flowing again.
"Work is now focused on excavating the remaining embankment back to the original breach profile. Material is being carefully removed using tracked excavators and dumpers, with stockpiles created on site before being taken away for reuse elsewhere.
"Preparations are underway for the embankment reconstruction, which will involve backfilling in layers and installing geogrid reinforcement to strengthen the structure.
"Wherever possible, material recovered from the site will be reused. Because the site has only a single access point, operations are being managed as efficiently as possible using specialist plant."
They added that water is continuing to be diverted around the breach, adding: "Water continues to be diverted by pumping around the breach.
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"An alternative flume system was explored, but due to limited space on site it was not feasible to progress."
The canal breach on December 22 saw 15 million litres of water flood a nearby field, taking with it around 1,000 fish that were rescued from the site in March.
It also saw two narrowboats fall into the breach, one of which had to be written off because of the damage caused, while a third was left teetering on the edge.
A report into the cause of the breach revealed the site had been suffering a slow, undetectable leak for some time prior to it collapsing.
According to CRT, initial findings suggest the breach was most likely caused by “a combination of specific factors” in this location.
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