The Lichfield Canal Aqueduct is a potentially

navigable aqueduct Navigable aqueducts (sometimes called water bridges) are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of wa ...

over the M6 Toll Motorway, just to the west of

Lichfield Lichfield () is a cathedral city and civil parish in Staffordshire, England. Lichfield is situated roughly south-east of the county town of Stafford, south-east of Rugeley, north-east of Walsall, north-west of Tamworth and south-west o ...

and north of

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The aqueduct is unwatered; it was constructed at the same time as the motorway in anticipation of the restoration of the

Lichfield Canal The Lichfield Canal, as it is now known, was historically a part of the Wyrley and Essington Canal, being the section of that canal from Ogley Junction at Brownhills on the northern Birmingham Canal Navigations to Huddlesford Junction, east of ...

History

The Lichfield Canal (originally part of the Wyrley and Essington Canal) is currently being restored. Restoration was threatened by the construction of the M6 Toll motorway around the north of Birmingham, which cut across the canal's route. The cost of construction was shared; Midland Expressway (the proprietors of the motorway) funded the foundations and the Lichfield & Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust fundraised to finance the superstructure. The aqueduct was installed on 15 and 16 August 2003.Brief History of the Lichfield Canal Aqueduct, accessed 13 April 2015
/ref> In 2014/2015 Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust received a

Social Investment Business Social Investment Business (SIB) is a UK registered charity and trading company that offers loans, grants and other financial products to charities and social enterprises. SIB manages one of the largest social investment portfolios in the ...

(SIB) grant of £336,000 which will enable the Trust to buy land on either side of the aqueduct and carry out the necessary work to rebuild the canal to bring the aqueduct into use. In April 2015, Midland Expressway Limited donated £50,000 to Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust to honour an undertaking they made when the M6 Toll Motorway was built. The donation is a "substantial contribution" towards the cost of reinstating the Crane Brook Culvert which was removed when the motorway was built.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Lichfield and Hatherton Canals Restoration Trust
Bridges to nowhere Lichfield Bridges in Staffordshire Aqueducts in England

History

See also

References

External links