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All closures / Why they close / Vehicle Incident
Vehicle Incident
Too few unplanned closures filed this way in June to August 2026 and the same months a year earlier to tell a change from luck: 3 against 4. How a change is tested.
- On record
- 22 notices since May 2025: 20 closures and 2 restrictions
In force today
1 closure filed this way is in force today, longest shut first. Filter the explorer to them.
| Canal | Where | Since | Days shut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry Canal | Dunstall Bridge | 12 September 2026 | 14 |
By canal
12 canals have had a closure filed this way. A closure naming two canals counts on both.
| Canal | Closures |
|---|---|
| Llangollen Canal | 4 |
| North Stratford Canal | 4 |
| Lancaster Canal | 3 |
| Middlewich Branch (Shrop Union) | 3 |
| Coventry Canal | 1 |
| Kennet & Avon Canal | 1 |
| Leeds & Liverpool Canal | 1 |
| Macclesfield Canal | 1 |
| Oxford Canal | 1 |
| Sheffield & South Yorkshire Nav | 1 |
| Staffordshire & Worcestershire Cnl | 1 |
| Trent & Mersey Canal | 1 |
Every closure on record
Showing 20 closures and 2 restrictions CRT filed as “Vehicle Incident”.
Rank by
Population
4 closures are in neither group: 4 unplanned with no day in the cruising season since May 2025.
Status
Duration
Cause
Asset affected
Water problem
Unplanned failures naming one
CRT reason
Region
What these figures mean
- Population
- Which closures a figure counts. All closures is everything; Unplanned closure drops the works CRT flags as its winter programme and any day outside the cruising season (the Friday nearest 15 March to the Sunday before the first Monday in November). Scheduled work CRT does not flag as winter works still counts here. CRT Planned closure is the flagged winter programme alone.
- Defensible duration
- The days between a closure's start and its reopening date, counted only where the dates allow it. A cancelled notice, or one whose reopening precedes its start, has no defensible duration and is in no total.
- Closure-days
- One day on which one closure was in force. Two closures on the same day are two closure-days; where the question is how long a canal was actually disrupted, overlapping notices are unioned into single intervals. They are counted from 1 May 2025, when this archive begins: a closure that started earlier adds only its days since then, though its own row shows its whole length. Every figure and chart counts only the days inside the Period chosen above them.
- In force
- A closure is in a Period, and a day is one a closure affected, if it was in force at any time that day, including the morning it reopened. Closure-days measure how long, so they count whole days and not the reopening day: a closure can be in a Period and add no closure-day to it.
Closures in force each month
closures active during the monthCanals ranked by the season's closures
share of the period's cruising-season days up to today — a closure somewhere on a long canal is likelier, and does not mean the canal was impassableclosures in force on the period's cruising-season days — a longer canal has more to go wrong onWhere
closure-days by regionclosures by regionA region with more canal has more to go wrong on, so these totals partly measure its size. Regions compared by length of canal are on the Reliability page.
What causes them
closure-days by causeclosures by causeWhat fails
closure-days by assetclosures by assetWhat fails on a lock
closure-days by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partclosures by part — unplanned lock failures naming a partHow long they last
closures by full length, including any days before May 2025 — the bands are not equal in widthClosures
Dunstall Farm Bridge, Coventry Canal
Coventry CanalWest Midlands
14 days
From 12 September 2026
No reopening date
Still shut
- Where
- Dunstall Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Please be advised that the navigation is currently closed following a bridge strike. The offside parapet of the bridge has been damaged and is now leaning towards the canal. Due to the condition of the structure and the potential risk to passing boats and customers, the…
CRT's only update, 12 September 2026. 14 days without another.
Navigation and Towpath Closure; Between Bridge 30 and Bridge 32, Lancaster Canal
Lancaster CanalNorth West
10 days
From 1 July 2025
Reopened 11 July 2025
- Where
- Bridge 30, Roots Bridge to Bridge 32, Swillbrook Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Navigation and towpath are back open between Bridge 30 and Bridge 32 on the Lancaster Canal. We ask all customers to proceed with caution on tick over through Bridge 31, due to some remnants of the bridge's masonry remaining in the water. Our specialist teams are currently…
Latest of 6 CRT updates, 9 July 2025.
Dimmingsdale Bridge, Bridge 53
Staffordshire & Worcestershire CnlWest Midlands
5 days
From 22 June 2025
Reopened 27 June 2025
- Where
- Lock 28 Dimmingsdale Lock to Lock 29 Wightwick Lock
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Due to a road traffic accident at Dimmingsdale Bridge on 22.06.2025, there is significant debris in the canal, preventing boat passage. Sections of one bridge parapet are unstable and the towpath is also closed under the bridge as a result. The remaining brickwork of the bridge…
CRT's only update, 22 June 2025.
Bridge 8 Nanney's Bridge
Middlewich Branch (Shrop Union)North West
5 days
From 3 May 2026
Reopened 8 May 2026
- Where
- Bridge 8, Nanney's Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Following a recent collision at Bridge 8 (Nanney's Bridge) on the Middlewich Branch of the Shropshire Union Canal, Cheshire East Highways closed the road as a precaution to help keep everyone safe. Although barriers were put in place, they have unfortunately been repeatedly…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 8 May 2026.
Bridge 75, Ratcliffe Bridge
Lancaster CanalNorth West
4 days
From 4 November 2025
Reopened 8 November 2025
- Where
- Bridge 75, Ratcliffe Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
The navigation and towpath remains closed at Bridge 75, Ratcliffe Bridge, on the Lancaster Canal. Our teams are currently on site removing the remaining blocks and railings that fell into the navigation following a vehicle impact with the bridge. These works are expected to be…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 6 November 2025.
Bridge 8 Nanney's Bridge
Middlewich Branch (Shrop Union)North West
4 days
From 18 May 2026
Reopened 22 May 2026
- Where
- Hollingshead Winding Hole to Winding Hole - Cholmondeston
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Our teams have reinstalled the barriers at Bridge 8, Nanney's Bridge, to prevent road traffic from using the bridge and have put diversion routes in place. Initial inspections have now been completed, and the team are now on site carrying out repairs to the damaged bridge. A…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 20 May 2026.
Bridge 20, Wrenbury Swing Bridge
Llangollen CanalNorth West
3 days
From 5 September 2025
Reopened 8 September 2025
- Where
- Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
The navigation is currently closed at Wrenbury Swing Bridge, Bridge 20 on the Llangollen Canal due to a vehicle strike. Our local team have been informed and are in attendance. An update will be provided Monday, 8 September.
CRT's only update, 5 September 2025.
Navigation Closure; Bridge 31, New Lane Swing Bridge, Leeds & Liverpool Canal
Leeds & Liverpool CanalNorth West
2 days
From 10 June 2025
Reopened 12 June 2025
- Where
- Bridge 31, New Lane Swing Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
Navigation remains closed at Bridge 31 on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal due to a vehicle strike. Our engineering team have attended site and are currently sourcing a new barrier from the manufacturers. A further update will be provided Thursday 12 June.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 11 June 2025.
Aubreys lift bridge 221 Thrupp
Oxford CanalLondon and South East
2 days
From 14 June 2026
Reopened 16 June 2026
- Where
- Bridge 221, Aubreys Lift Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
The bridge will be out of action for the foreseeable, our engineers are exploring plans to get the repairs in place. We'll update this notice by midday Wednesday 17th June at the latest with more information around the planned repairs.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 15 June 2026.
Between Lock 69 & Lock 70
Trent & Mersey CanalNorth West
1 day
From 8 May 2025
Reopened 9 May 2025
- Where
- Lock 70 to Lock 69
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Canal or river
The Navigation and towpath between Lock 69 and Lock 70 on the Trent & Mersey Canal are currently closed due to a police incident involving an articulated vehicle that has entered the canal near Bridge 165a. Our teams are working closely with the vehicle owners and emergency…
CRT's only update, 8 May 2025.
Bridge 31 (Woolhampton Swing bridge). Kennet And Avon
Kennet & Avon CanalWales and South West
1 day
From 4 June 2025
Reopened 5 June 2025
- Where
- Bridge 31,Woolhampton Swingbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
Please be advised that due to Vehicle damage, Bridge 31 (Woolhampton Swing Bridge) is currently closed to navigation. Our M and E technicians are aware and will be on site Thursday 5th June to carry out repairs. In the meantime, we apologise for any inconvenience & invite…
CRT's only update, 4 June 2025.
Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
Llangollen CanalNorth West
1 day
From 18 November 2025
Reopened 19 November 2025
- Where
- Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
Navigation is currently closed at Wrenbury Swing Bridge, Bridge 20 on the Llangollen Canal due to a vehicle strike causing damage to the barriers. Our local team have been informed and are in attendance. An update will be provided tomorrow, Wednesday, 19 November.
CRT's only update, 18 November 2025.
Bridge 49, Royal Oak Swing Bridge on the Macclesfield Canal
Macclesfield CanalNorth West
1 day
From 18 February 2026
Reopened 19 February 2026
- Where
- Bridge 49, Royal Oak Swingbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
Navigation is currently closed at Bridge 49, Royal Oak Swing Bridge, Macclesfield Canal due to a technical fault caused from recent vehicle strike. Specialist contractors will be in attendance tomorrow to assess and repair. An update will be provided on Thursday 19 February.
CRT's only update, 18 February 2026.
Shirley Drawbridge
North Stratford CanalWest Midlands
1 day
From 23 April 2026
Reopened 24 April 2026
- Where
- Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
Navigation at Shirley Drawbridge is currently closed after a vehicle struck the barriers. Our engineers have been contacted, and we will provide an update as soon as we receive a confirmed timeframe for repairs.
CRT's only update, 23 April 2026.
Bridge 8 Nanney's Bridge
Middlewich Branch (Shrop Union)North West
1 day
From 14 May 2026
Reopened 15 May 2026
- Where
- Hollingshead Winding Hole to Winding Hole - Cholmondeston
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
Following a vehicle strike on Bridge 8, Nanney's Bridge, robust barriers were installed to prevent road traffic from accessing the bridge, and diversion routes were put in place. These have since been moved. Until these barriers are reinstated, the towpath and navigation will…
CRT's only update, 14 May 2026.
Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge.
North Stratford CanalWest Midlands
1 day
Fully shut 1 of CRT's 1 day
From 31 May 2026
Reopened 1 June 2026
- Where
- Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
The bridge remains out of operation at this time. We are expecting an engineering team to attend later today. Our team will be on site at 9am and 3pm to manually operate the bridge, allowing any waiting boats to pass. We will provide a further update as soon as we receive one.
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 1 June 2026.
Wrenbury Bridge, Bridge 20
Llangollen CanalNorth West
1 day
From 1 June 2026
Reopened 2 June 2026
- Where
- Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Swing bridge
Navigation is currently closed at Wrenbury Swing Bridge, Bridge 20 on the Llangollen Canal due to a vehicle strike. Our local team have been informed and are in attendance. An update will be provided on or before Wednesday, 3 June.
CRT's only update, 1 June 2026.
Barnby Dun Lift Bridge
Sheffield & South Yorkshire NavYorkshire and North East
1 day
From 2 August 2026
Reopened 3 August 2026
- Where
- Barnby Dun Lift Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
Please be advised that due to a vehicle colliding with the safety barriers at Barnby Dun Lift bridge that the bridge is closed to all boat traffic. Contractors are on their way today to try and attempt a repair. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
CRT's only update, 2 August 2026.
Between Bridge 30 to Bridge 32
Lancaster CanalNorth West
same day
From 3 February 2026
Reopened 3 February 2026
- Where
- Bridge 30, Roots Bridge to Bridge 32, Swillbrook Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Bridge
The towpath and navigation are currently closed between Bridge 30 and Bridge 32 on the Lancaster Canal due to a vehicle strike at Bridge 31. Our local operations team and engineers have been notified and are on way to site to assess the damage. An update will be provided on…
CRT's only update, 3 February 2026.
Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge
North Stratford CanalWest Midlands
same day
From 25 August 2026
Ended 25 August 2026
Restriction, not a full closure
- Where
- Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
Please be advised that the navigation is currently closed at Shirley Drawbridge after a vehicle struck the barriers. Our contractors have been contacted, and will attend to make repairs. In the meantime, our local team will be on-site at 10am and 3pm today to manually allow…
CRT's only update, 25 August 2026.
Bridge 8 Shirley Drawbridge
North Stratford CanalWest Midlands
1 day
From 3 September 2026
Ended 4 September 2026
Restriction, not a full closure
- Where
- Bridge 8, Shirley Drawbridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
Engineers have attended this morning. The bridge requires a replacement part which will mean it will remain out of action until that part can be sourced and fitted. This notice will be updated when more information is available. Trust staff will be on-site at 10am and 3pm each…
Latest of 2 CRT updates, 4 September 2026.
Wrenbury Lift Bridge
Llangollen CanalNorth West
same day
From 23 September 2026
Reopened 23 September 2026
- Where
- Bridge 20, Wrenbury Bridge
- CRT reason
- Vehicle Incident
- Cause
- Struck by boat or vehicle
- Asset
- Lift bridge
Navigation is currently closed at Wrenbury Swing Bridge, Bridge 20 on the Llangollen Canal due to a vehicle strike causing damage to the barriers. Specialist Contractors have been instructed and will be on site tomorrow to plan a method of repair. An update will be provided…
CRT's only update, 23 September 2026.
Showing the 22 longest of 22. Every row links to the notice CRT published.
Why they close · Canals · Reliability · Trends · Download data