Mini-dumper trucks used to tackle Darwen's blocked culverts

4:30pm Saturday 21st July 2012 in Darwen

MINI-DUMPER trucks are operating beneath a Darwen road to clear out blocked culverts that caused devastating floods in the town.

There is a network of culverts built about a hundred years ago to carry water from the River Darwen underground.

But a blockage in the culverts led to a huge build-up of water during the heavy downpours last month which caused floods along the A666.

The Environment Agency has now dug a nine-metre-square hole in Snape Street to removed debris that caused the blockage.

Work in the culverts is expected to last between eight and 12 weeks, with about 2,000 tonnes of waste material to be removed.

The dumpers, driven by workers wearing breathing apparatus to keep them safe in the underground tunnel, will collect debris, which is then scooped out by a digger and put into skips.

The work is expected to cost at least £450,000, taking the agency’s recent expenditure, including work to remove the culvert at Shorey Bank, in the town to about £1.6million.

Work in the culvert will also include a plastic lining to stop water seeping through to the road surface in future.

Once the culvert is cleared the agency will also repair the damaged pavement on the A666 in front of shops between Preston Street and Lloyd Street.

Darwen MP Jake Berry said: “It is fantastic we have managed to get such a big grant to to this work to the River Darwen.

“I want to make sure that money is being spent to make sure homes and businesses in Darwen are protected from extreme weather.

“I would also urge people to bear with us with the roadworks as we are working towards improving the town and its infrastructure.”

Sudell councillor Paul Browne, who lives in nearby Greenway Street, said: “The Environment Agency is doing a good job and with the money they are spending on it this should solve the problem for the future.

“We don’t want all this happening again and I hope that these guys do the business for us.”

Tony Callaghan from the Environment Agency said: “When completed, the repairs will reduce the risk of flooding to more than 150 properties.”

Comments(12)

A Darener says...
5:08pm Sat 21 Jul 12

And when they have finished that they can unblock all the Gulleys along the A666 and connecting streets e.g. Hawkshaw Ave for one. Most of the gulleys blocked with silt.

Report this post »

andybNelson says...
6:01pm Sat 21 Jul 12

Thats the useless ones at Blackburn Councils Job. But dont hold your breath they have probably diverted money to pay for another high paid executive.

Report this post »

A Darener says...
6:40pm Sat 21 Jul 12

andybNelson wrote:
Thats the useless ones at Blackburn Councils Job. But dont hold your breath they have probably diverted money to pay for another high paid executive.
Don't care who does it as long as someone does. If I had a sludge gulper I would do it myself.

Report this post »

prince of darkness says...
8:00pm Sat 21 Jul 12

Why should they require a grant for what should be maintenace. Or do they wait until things like this happen.How many others are out there.Hope this does the job.

Report this post »

RUinsane says...
8:32pm Sat 21 Jul 12

prince of darkness wrote:
Why should they require a grant for what should be maintenace. Or do they wait until things like this happen.How many others are out there.Hope this does the job.
Its probably easier to hold back 6 million from the budget and just pay the compensation claims

Report this post »

over-rovers says...
10:37pm Sat 21 Jul 12

how does unblocking some thing stop it from happening again are they going to dig up the roads everytime it gets blocked again.If its getting blocked then theres something not right or am i missing the point

Report this post »

over-rovers says...
10:39pm Sat 21 Jul 12

A Darener wrote:
And when they have finished that they can unblock all the Gulleys along the A666 and connecting streets e.g. Hawkshaw Ave for one. Most of the gulleys blocked with silt.
if you can afford to live on hawkshaw you can get your butler to unblock the drains

Report this post »

2 for 5p says...
1:29am Sun 22 Jul 12

:-) talk about after the horse as bolted :-)

Report this post »

english rose 1 says...
1:35am Sun 22 Jul 12

andybNelson wrote:
Thats the useless ones at Blackburn Councils Job. But dont hold your breath they have probably diverted money to pay for another high paid executive.
..............but the number of high paid exectutives at BwD has actually reduced by a third,.

Report this post »

A Darener says...
3:14pm Sun 22 Jul 12

over-rovers wrote:
A Darener wrote:
And when they have finished that they can unblock all the Gulleys along the A666 and connecting streets e.g. Hawkshaw Ave for one. Most of the gulleys blocked with silt.
if you can afford to live on hawkshaw you can get your butler to unblock the drains
Would you like the job? My last one left, complained of being over worked and his son didn't like keep going up the chimney.

Report this post »

allan1957 says...
4:45pm Sun 22 Jul 12

As reported earlier in the Telegraph a blockage in the culvert was only discovered after tests were carried out after the latest flooding at Knott S tThe culvert would have got blocked over many years I assume once the culvert has been unblocked this will remain so for quite a few years not a job i fancy doing well done lads

Report this post »

Your ferret stinks says...
12:54pm Mon 23 Jul 12

allan1957 wrote:
As reported earlier in the Telegraph a blockage in the culvert was only discovered after tests were carried out after the latest flooding at Knott S tThe culvert would have got blocked over many years I assume once the culvert has been unblocked this will remain so for quite a few years not a job i fancy doing well done lads
Allan, don't hold your breath as i bet a pound to a pinch of this dirt someone will forget and leave a dump truck down there!

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree