Waterway Notices / Bridge 14, Brewood Bridge, South Staffordshire

We are continuing to work with our consultants and Staffordshire County Council to develop and approve the permanent repair solution for the bridge wall and road surface.

In the coming weeks, investigative works will be carried out on site to support the detailed design and repair programme. For safety reasons, the towpath closure will therefore need to remain in place while these investigations are undertaken.

While work continues to progress, the current expectation is that the towpath closure will remain in place until the permanent repair works have been completed. At present, this is likely to be until Christmas 2026, although this remains subject to the findings of the ongoing investigations and the final repair programme.

We appreciate the patience and understanding of local residents, businesses and waterway users while we work towards a long-term repair.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

We're working closely with our consultants, Arcadis, to design the repair of the bridge wall and road surface. As part of this work, a 3D survey and inspection of the bridge will be carried out to help us plan the repairs. The survey is expected to take place during April and, once the design is ready, it will be shared with Staffordshire County Council for review and approval.

We're currently aiming for repair work to begin over the summer.

Two public meetings have now been arranged to give residents the opportunity to hear directly from the project teams about the planned works and next steps. Both meetings will run from 5pm to 7pm:

• Bishops Wood Village Hall – 18 March 2026
• Brewood Library – 25 March 2026

Residents can also find further updates and answers to frequently asked questions here:

FAQs: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/where-we-work/west-midlands/brewood-bridge-repair

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

We are continuing to work in partnership with Staffordshire County Council and Severn Trent to stabilise and repair the bridge approach wall and resurface the road. Severn Trent have already completed repairs to the water main.

Investigations into the cause of the damage are ongoing. We are aiming to begin the main repair works in the coming weeks so the bridge can be reopened as soon as possible.

Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available, and public meetings will be arranged to provide residents with an opportunity to hear more about the planned works.

Following the emergency closure of the towpath and road over the canal bridge in Brewood at the end of November, investigations reveal the need for major repairs to the bridge structure, as well as permanent repairs to a water main and sewer pipe beneath the bridge.

We are working closely with Severn Trent Water and the local authority to coordinate these complex works.

We are still waiting for final timescales for the water main, sewer, and bridge repairs. Once these programmes are confirmed and the water main and sewer work is completed, we will carry out the necessary structural repairs to the bridge.

All partners are working to progress the repairs as quickly as possible. We recognise the importance of this route to the local community and will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

Please note that the towpath and road at Bridge 14 remain closed due to structural concerns.

Initial inspections have identified bulging of the southern towpath wingwall, voiding beneath it, and damage to a Severn Trent pipe. For safety reasons, stabilisation works are required before any repairs can proceed, as excavation at this stage could result in further structural failure.

Our Asset Engineers are working with Severn Trent and the local authority to agree the next steps. We are progressing this with urgency to minimise the impact on the local community. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.

Please note that the towpath remains closed at Bridge 14, Brewood Bridge. A full inspection of the bridge is required before third-party repair works can proceed.

We will provide a further update as soon as the inspection has been completed.

Our engineers have visited the site and assessed that it is safe to reopen the canal, as the damage to the bridge is located well away from the bridge arch. The towpath will remain closed until further assessment is carried out tomorrow, as water is still running from the burst pipe onto the towpath. We will provide a further update as soon as possible.

A third-party water main has burst and caused damage to Bridge 14, Brewood Bridge. As a result, the canal and towpath underneath the bridge are closed until further investigation is carried out to assess the structural condition of the bridge following the failure. Further updates will be provided as soon as possible.