The impact on the canals of the first phase of the proposed HS2 railway could be further reduced. The Inland Waterways Association and the Canal & River Trust have combined efforts to try to wrest further concessions from the Select Committee dealing with the Parliamentary Bill for the proposed high-speed line.
The route near Fradley Junction has already been altered, with three of four proposed viaducts over the Coventry and Trent & Mersey canals designed out – but at the expense of a main road being diverted to run alongside the canal. Both IWA and CRT would like to change that, and also want a less obtrusive design of bridge over the Birmingham & Fazeley at Curdworth.
The Bill is expected to be passed by the end of this year, with construction beginning in 2017. Meanwhile, waterways supporters will continue their efforts to influence plans for the second phase of the route where it runs from the Midlands to Yorkshire – threatening the Ashby, Chesterfield and Dearne & Dove restoration plans.
