Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
New River Path temporary closure
I happened to walk by just after they posted the notice above and chatted with the site manager for the project. Apparently, the closure is to inspect the tunnel under Allison and Hewitt.
To enable the inspection, they'll be draining the tunnel. They'll also be adding more hard core to the boggy bits of the path to enable vehicle access.
The very friendly site manager took my email address and has promised me some pictures of the tunnel, Whether he'll be good to his word, only time will tell.
Tags for Forum Posts: new river, new river path
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lydia Walter on
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Looking forward to seeing photos Hugh!
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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Looking over my fence I can see that the team has finished strengthening the surface of the riverside path from Hampden Road to the footbridge with grey aggregate. This is for the special trucks that will be needed to suck up the accumulated sludge from inside the tunnel which runs from Wightman Road to Seymour Road. The team are now preparing timbers for the temporary dams that will soon be installed at each end of the tunnel ready for the water to be pumped out. Today a diver was clearing away silt from the vertical concrete grooves which will hold the timbers.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Thanks for the update, Dick. I'm delighted to report that the site manager called me to say that he'd cleared with Thames Water that he could share the photos and promised again to do so.
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Great photos Dick and a fascinating project. If you take any more please post them.
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The work goes on apace. The Wightman end of the tunnel is now dammed and the team are working on the Seymour end. Just look at what the team found and propped up to watch over their work:
Maybe one of the guys got stuck here last time the tunnel was cleaned out. No wonder the water is so good.
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I wonder if there’s any chance TW would open the site for a public viewing once it’s drained - I’d be really interested
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I did ask the site manager I met and got the expected reply. Of course, he is a contractor and there's nothing to say TW couldn't be prevailed upon. I'm sure it would be a health and safety nightmare, but could be a public relations triumph.
Dick, you probably know that bit of the New River better than any other non-TW staffer: in your opinion, does the difficulty of access make the granting of public access look even remotely possible?
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I have no inside information but I would guess that it would be hopelessly complicated in terms of the practical aspects of access at my end. The other end might be a bit easier. However, the personal risks involved, including the potential presence of noxious gases, would probably rule it out. The team working on the job are always mob-handed and they all have safety slogans on their high vis clothes.
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Yes that’s a very good point!
You can see a bit from the bridge at the other end too
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Thank you for the update Dick. And the H&S info.
I too wondered if it may be possible to walk the tunnel, but potential noxious gasses… etc etc…
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The contractor's team finished damming the Wightman end of the tunnel a week ago and must have finished the other end too. For 48 hours they were pumping murky water out of the tunnel - routing it into an escape drain just by my garden fence. I believe that this directs it into the Stonebridge brook (or possibly into the sewer). There is still a little water in the tunnel and probably a lot of sludge. According to a TW guy, some of the team went into the tunnel today but I didn't witness this myself. No sign yet of the lorries to suck up the sludge.
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