£1.2 million towpath upgrade in Sandwell (for cyclists!)

[Amber34]

I don't think I'm familiar with this stretch of canal

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/sandwell/2017/07/24/more-than-1-million-to-be-spent-improving-birmingham-canal-in-sandwell/#FiZBx30LEIAZomi3.01

[WotEver]

“If the canals are allowed to deteriorate further then they could reach a point where they are not repairable.”

Oh really...?

[Amber34]

Just now, WotEver said:

“If the canals are allowed to deteriorate further then they could reach a point where they are not repairable.”

Oh really...?

I just read it through again and that bit made me smile too.  

 

But this isn't about the canal, just a new high speed commuter route.

[Athy]

3 minutes ago, WotEver said:

“If the canals are allowed to deteriorate further then they could reach a point where they are not repairable.”

Oh really...?

Tell that to the enthusiasts who restored the Kennet & Avon.

[john6767]

4 minutes ago, Amber34 said:

I don't think I'm familiar with this stretch of canal

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/local-hubs/sandwell/2017/07/24/more-than-1-million-to-be-spent-improving-birmingham-canal-in-sandwell/#FiZBx30LEIAZomi3.01

I believe the picture is of the New Main Line, between Bromford Junction and Pudding Green Junction, which I think is historically not new build by Telford, but an existing section of Brindley's that Telford improved.  Anyway that is not really important, it just seems that this is extending the scope of the towpath improvements that have been done by Birmingham, to other local authority areas.

The article is usual local newspaper rubbish, if I may be so bold.  But at the end of the day it is only the towpath surface improvement nothing to do with the canal as such.

[mrsmelly]

There is only 245,000 miles of roads in the uk for vehicles such as cylists to use ( less motorways ) so we should make sure all footpaths and towpaths are available to them.

[cuthound]

35 minutes ago, Athy said:

Tell that to the enthusiasts who restored the Kennet & Avon.

Like this, taken in 1955? 

 

 

[Momac]

7 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

There is only 245,000 miles of roads in the uk for vehicles such as cylists to use ( less motorways ) so we should make sure all footpaths and towpaths are available to them.

A cyclist isn't a vehicle it's a person who may have travelled or may  be travelling using a  bicycle.

A bicycle is , however, a vehicle .

[WotEver]

Pedant alert!

[Arthur Marshall]

25 minutes ago, MartynG said:

A cyclist isn't a vehicle it's a person who may have travelled or may  be travelling using a  bicycle.

Not according to Flann O'Brien...

[Neil2]

28 minutes ago, Arthur Marshall said:

Not according to Flann O'Brien...

Now there's an interesting question for the forum - what percentage narrowboat do you think you are?

[Martin Megson]

Nice to see the local council is spending money maintaining the tow path. I wish more would help this way

 

[Captain Pegg]

17 minutes ago, Martin Megson said:

Nice to see the local council is spending money maintaining the tow path. I wish more would help this way

 

The towpath(s) on this section aren't that well used and it's probably one of the more isolated sections of the main line. I enjoy sharing the space with the community when boating through Birmingham and the Black Country. On many stretches there are no locks and no one moors so the towpath isn't much used by boaters. This is one such stretch and I can't really think of a stretch of canal that would benefit more from such an initiative.

JP