THE COLOUR SUPPLEMENT

Bridges on the Sankey

The site of the railway swing bridge at Widnes. We hope progress will be made in 2002 towards a new, mobile bridge here, giving permanent access to events on Spike Island.

SCARS’ Work Parties renovated the relief swing bridge at Sankey Bridges – the fixed bridges either side, carrying the railway and the old Liverpool Road are major obstacles to restoration.

Bradley Swing Bridge, Earlestown, a prime subject for early restoration.

A lost opportunity for restoration in 2001

In 2000 we were very hopeful that a combination of a grant of £20,000 from the European Economic Development Fund, the expert advice, experience and equipment from the Waterway Recovery Group, plus volunteer labour by ourselves, would see Hey Lock, Earlestown, restored, and the most scenic stretch on the Sankey made available for our trip boat.

Sadly, the investigations we carried out on the material in the lock in the autumn (see the picture, left, of a sample being taken) revealed by the start of 2001 that there was so much toxicity present that disposing of it would be very expensive, and beyond a volunteer workforce.
The only thing for it was to set the JCB to work filling the trial holes up again (bottom picture).