Scottish Canals has announced that it is now halfway through its significant engineering programme on the Falkirk Flight of the Forth & Clyde Canal, an ambitious project spanning from locks 3 to 16.

This undertaking represents the biggest single investment in Scotland's canals since the Millennium Link Project revitalised the historic Lowlands network almost 25 years ago, ensuring its resilience and accessibility for future generations.

The extensive works are meticulously designed to ensure the canal remains open, navigable, and in a safe condition indefinitely. Key objectives include preventing potential infrastructure failures, maintaining the canal and its adjacent estate for various activities like walking and cycling, and significantly extending the lifetime of critical gates and assets to over 35 years through the use of contemporary methods and upgraded materials. Crucially, the programme also aims to support safe water control through surrounding towns and cities, adapting the historic waterways to the challenges of a changing, wetter climate.

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Initiated by Scottish Canals' Engineering & Infrastructure Team following routine inspections, the programme is being carried out by principal contractor Mackenzie Construction Ltd, which is managing a half-mile section of the canal as a construction site. A major component of the works involves replacing 10 sets of lock gates, including downstream gates at locks 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, plus the upstream gates at Lock 16. While original gates were typically oak with a 25-year lifespan, the new replacements will utilise robust steel at Lock 16 and sustainably sourced ekki, a hardwood offering at least a 40% longer life expectancy.

Furthermore, other upstream gates exhibiting signs of degradation are undergoing repair and replanking, a strategy that will extend their lifetime by several years and minimise future costs and disruption, as subsequent replacements will not necessitate dewatering the canal. During the period of suspended navigation, Scottish Canals is also seizing the opportunity to install a bypass at Lock 16. This innovative addition will enable water diversion to lower canal sections without gate operation, reducing reliance on diesel-fuelled over-pumping and providing enhanced water level control in response to increasingly extreme weather patterns.

The extensive programme, which also involves thorough inspections and necessary repairs of the canal's submerged structure, commenced in November 2024 and is scheduled for completion in March 2026. These efforts underscore the vital role of a robust canal network in supporting climate change mitigation, fostering active travel opportunities, enhancing biodiversity, and enriching local culture and community life across Scotland.