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IT HAS been a building site for more than a year and a massive engineering project. But come next spring, work on a multi-million pound revamp of Liverpool’s Pier Head to create a new canal link will have transformed the area into a visitor destination of international quality. Read
Next spring, well that sucks.:Smiliz_Kingz_PDT_13
Three tonnes of steel are missing link’s final piece
Aug 15 2008
by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post
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STEEL gates weighing three tonnes each were lowered into a new £20m canal network around the Three Graces yesterday.
The massive flood gates at Mann Island are at the centre of British Waterways’ creation of the new Liverpool Canal Link.
For Charlie Wilsoncroft, senior project engineer at British Waterways, they herald a new future for Liverpool’s Pier Head.
For the first time in over a century, canal boats will be able to navigate the current 127-mile Leeds & Liverpool Canal straight into the heart of Liverpool.
Built by local engineering company Twinbridge, of Burscough, and fitted with paddles and winding gear by Stanley Ferry Workshop, of British Waterways, these doorways beckon a new future for Liverpool.
The separate lock gates have already been installed, and the first boats will pass through early next spring.
Mr Wilsoncroft said: “This whole area is going to be one of the top public realm spaces in the UK. When you look at the buildings around here, you’re looking at a World Heritage Site, so there are limits on what we can do and it’s important to match what’s already here.”
At five metres high, the flood gates are substantial bastions against the tides and floods, but were slotted into position to protect the lock yesterday like children’s toys.
A handsaw will be used to help gel the gates together.
Granite cladding will reach from the pavement down to water level, and ambient lights have been built into the structure.
A complex arrangement of paving has reworked the public space into a multi-level area where people can meet and relax.
Back down at canal level, Mr Wilsoncroft has had to come up with new solutions to ancient problems.
He said: “The Canning Dock wall is the oldest wall in the entire Liverpool dock, and is listed, so we’ve got a real task to make a sensitive transition.”
Several feet of solid earth lie at the head of the new canal structure, which will have to be broken through in the next few weeks to join the new canal to the rest of the system.
A large domed structure will jut into the dock.
“It’s artwork and a job for stone masons. The stone wall is a couple of hundred years old and being sandstone is friable, losing its strength,” the engineer explained.
“We want to be able to reuse as much of the original stone as possible, but there is a certain amount we’ll have to get rid of.”
Once the locks are flooded, it will be the final part of a new 11-mile stretch of canal opened up to the public.
Countryside Neptune LLP are now delivering the final part of the Canal Link project as part of their mixed use development, which comprises 376 apartments together with leisure, retail and commercial space set within high quality public realm.
Funding has been secured from the Northwest Regional Development Agency, Merseyside Objective One programme, English Partnerships, Peel Holdings and British Waterways.
Source: Liverpool Daily Post
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Top pic is the excavation of an old road in Waterloo dock for the new canal link.
The other is a new road bridge over the link to replace the old road,and it looks like the train at the top of the road could be my train home
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A view the the canal users will see the building on the left is a converted old
dock warehouse ,the right is a modern residential site
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Canal passage from East Waterloo which goes under the new road bridge then on to the Trafalgar Dock
This is one of the things im looking forward too, this will be brilliant and worth the wait.
This is how it was looking yesterday when the QE2 was in for the last time.
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That bend looks a bit tight for the Longboats though!
I think you mean narrowboats - unless we're expecting Viking invaders!
John
LOL!
now there's a thought :unibrow: The canal does go through Kirkdale :eek:
Still looks a bit bendy even for a Narrowboat, maybe or should i say "hopefully" it will be ok. Can't see them making such a big gaff but......
I wonder why it bends at all, unless it's for aesthetics.
Of course the Leeds and Liverpool canal was not built for the 70ft narrowboat of the midlands canals, but for the Leeds Shortboats, which were 56ft long and 14ft wide.
One of those would certainly make a mess of some of the plastic toys that some people sail on the canals these days.
John
Why, has someone hurt themselves?:unibrow:Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
I say, could you picture the longboats getting stuck on that bend and some of the helmets with the long horns getting stuck in the tunnels? Gosh that would be a sight. I think the Scousers would win that battle right off. ha ha:snf (41):
I think the the south side of the canal will be opening soon. They are erecting new barriers towards the river, suggesting they will be opening up the completed spaces.
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Oct 27 2008 by Catherine Jones, Liverpool Echo
THE first phase of an ?8m scheme to revamp Liverpool?s World Heritage waterfront will be officially opened this week.
The Pier Head has been closed since December 2006.
From tomorrow, access will be reopened along new paved and landscaped areas in front of the Three Graces.
Two basins on the Leeds-Liverpool canal link to the Albert Dock will be filled with water.
It means for the first time in more than a century boats will be able to navigate the 127-mile canal into the heart of the city, although they will not be able to travel along the stretch of water until early in 2009.
Last night:
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SS Arandora Star Plaque. I hadn't seen this plaque before.
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The area in front of the Liver Buildings as the canal link nears completion
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The last lock on the canal berfore it enters the Stanley Dock to continue to the Albert Dock.
You can find some of my photos of the almost complete Prince's Dock lock chamber on the Irish Sea Shipping web site:
Canal Link Progress 2008
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I can just see George Formby in that hydraulic platform singing "When I'm cleaning windows".
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This is where the new canal link will be heading to and from the 4 lock area
As always, great shots, Gregs Dad!
The rest of the Pier Head/canal section is open to the public (the part in front of the Liver Buildings). It's just a large, empty space at the moment.
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At last the water has been returned to the Princes Dock after completion of the canal link to the pierhead
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Some of the gates of the canal link in the dock
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The channel where the narrow boats will enter the Princes Dock on their way to the Stanley dock
Very good shots GD!Quote:
Originally Posted by gregs dad
Thanks Samps
I'm confused by the last photo. I'd assumed that the lock was to lower boats down from Princes Dock to go under the road/Isle of Man ferry check in area and then across the Pier Head (and then up again in another lock to get up to the Canning Dock level). The last photo looks as if it brings the boats UP from the Princes Dock level, or am I looking at it wrong?
Sean
You are correct Sean with your orriginal assumption.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sean SE16
I had taken a look at the lock a few weeks ago the lock does lower boats to pass under the road and IoMSPCo check in.
John
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The canal link as it leaves the East Waterloo dock. Last year the dock became a little wildlife haven with it`s little isletsfor the geese and oyster catchers to have their offspring but yesterday there was a bulldozer flattening the bottom of the dock.
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The link towards the Stanley dock and the locks has a bit of water in it now
Photos taken yesterday from the new road bridge over the canal
Was down at the Front of the Liver building today.....
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Is It possible to reflect the clock tower In the canal water from any angles?Quote:
Originally Posted by gregs dad
The Collingwood Dock is about the only place you will get a decent reflectionQuote:
Originally Posted by Max
see this post
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THE finishing touches are being put to the Liverpool canal link which will breathe new life into Liverpool?s historic waterfront. Read
"I think it's starting to look fabulous"! Thanks to all for the links and pics. Cheers:PDT11
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Very near completion now with the locks finished and Princes Dock filled in again. A bit disappionted though, see pic 3 rubbish, in the catchment water by the locks. It doesn`t bode well for summer when more people will be about. Looks like the council will have to have to employ canal cleaners as well as street cleaners.
"Great Pics Joe" Much appreciated! and Yes! the rubbish could be a problem But Eh! I would'nt mind that job!, just give me a suitable boat and a catchnet, and I could travel up and down the waterway collecting rubish each day, and I'm sure I'd enjoy it!!!! (have to get me from NZ first of course) Cheers:PDT11
All this stuff's has been generated by the construction process and the workers. Its mostly bits of polystyrene and wrapings off building materials.
Could still do with being cleared out though.
Great pics one and all. I must get down there soon. My heart sank too when I saw all that rubbish in one of the photos. Nobody should be doing that.