The Rothen Group was called upon to help repair a stretch of the Llangollen Canal after heavy rain caused substantial damage to the canal wall. A 20m section of the canal, which links north wales and south Cheshire, was damaged during Storm Miguel resulting in erosion that threatened to close the busy stretch near Marbury. When Kier was contracted by the Canal & River Trust to undertake the work, it became rapidly apparent that the rural location presented challenges.
“The nature and location of the site meant that what should have been a straightforward bank stabilisation job became a tricky exercise in logistics,” commented Mark Stephens, project manager at Kier. “Combine this with the fact that the canal is a popular route for members of the public, and the project quickly took on a whole new level of difficulty.”
The combination of time pressure and the awkward location of the site necessitated the involvement of a marine and civil engineering specialist and The Rothen Group was chosen to help assist with the bank stabilisation works.
Within 24 hours of being contacted, The Rothen Group undertook a site visit and dispatched a 70ft crane boat accompanied by staff to manage both the piling operations and the boats themselves.
“We knew that we had to mobilise efficiently, if we were to keep disruption of the Llangollen Canal to a minimum,” said Ian Rothen, The Rothen Group founder. “The project was completed efficiently and thoroughly with the canal completely reopening within a month.”
Read another inland waterways article: HS2: Inland Waterways Association pledges to protect UK canal network
