See the bottom of an historic Birmingham canal after it was drained for new cycle path

See the bottom of an historic Birmingham canal after it was drained for new cycle path

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One of Birmingham’s most historic canal stretches is being drained in a £250,000 project to improve pedestrian city centre access.

The work, expected to last 10 weeks, will create a new access point along the Worcester and Birmingham canal, linking the cut with Five Ways train station.

The scheme will open a green, traffic-free corridor between Edgbaston and the city centre.

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Charity Canal and River Trust are carrying out the work as part of the Birmingham Cycle Revolution Project, a major initiative to boost biking.

The towpath is being widened and new steps installed at Islington Row canal bridge. The waterway wall will be dismantled, meaning the canal must be drained.

That is being done this week.

Jonathan Pritchett, from the Canal and River Trust, said: “There are few better ways to start your day than a walk or bike ride and, once these new steps are installed, it should make the morning commute much easier for people wanting to access the train station, the Cube and the Mailbox.”

Coun Lisa Trickett, council cabinet member for a green, smart and sustainable city, said: “Towpaths are a great alternative route for getting in and around the centre of Birmingham.

“This new access will make it easier for everyone, particularly those using the train station – fitting in perfectly with the aims of our Birmingham Mobility Action Plan.

“Walking and cycling are both great ways to get fit and discover your local stretch of canal.”

The towpath and canal will be closed until December 19.

The aim of the cycle revolution project is to make cycling an everyday form of transport over the next 20 years. The city council secured £17 million from the government’s Cycle City Ambition Fund, topped-up by £24.3 million from other sources.

This funding will be used initially to improve the cycling network within a 20 minute biking time from Birmingham city centre, providing 95km of improvements to existing cycle routes and 115km of new routes.