Works to replace Falkirk Flight on Forth & Clyde Canal will now not be completed until 2027

Scottish Canals are currently undertaking works on the Falkirk Flight of locks on the waterway, and it has emerged this week that these will now not be complete until April 2027 – more than a year after they were originally anticipated to be finished.

The Forth & Clyde Canal is currently closed between locks three (Grangemouth) and 16 (Camelon).

The organisation which looks after the waterways has been working to replace ten lock gates along the canal, and install a bypass at lock 16, since last year.

The works were originally due to have been completed in “early 2026” with an expected end date in March, however in January this year it emerged the timescale had been extended to August 2026.

This week, Scottish Canals has confirmed that a further extension is required and the works will continue until April 2027.

Navigation for boats along this section of the canal will now remain suspended until April 23, 2027.

A spokesperson for Scottish Canals said: “The Falkirk Flight Upgrade and Gate Replacement Programme is the biggest engineering project taking place on our network in 25 years, representing a major investment in the future of the Lowland canals.

“When the programme was first designed for 2025/2026, our teams had a limited view of the canal.

"With the canal dewatered, we have also had the opportunity to conduct detailed inspections of assets normally submerged under water.

"This has revealed more work to do, including further gate replacements and repairs, and a series of other works along this stretch of canal.

“With the end of the project set for August 2026 and a growing list of gates and repairs needed along the canal, we had a decision to make.

"We could re-water the canal only to return within a year or two and dewater once again to conduct the additional repairs and gate replacement.

"This would be a costly choice that would bring disruption to the community and boaters for longer.

"The alternative was to keep the canal dewatered until April 23 and capture all the additional and urgent gate replacements and repairs into this one period.

“By extending the current works, we can reduce the likelihood of further prolonged canal closures over the next decade whilst protecting these Scheduled Monuments.”

Among the extended works to be carried out are the replacement of downstream gates at Lock 4 (Abbots Road), replacement of the upstream gates at Lock 13, repairs to the historic masonry quoins (curved recesses where gate mechanisms operate), replacement of mechanisms, re-planking of upstream lock gates and repairs to masonry and embankments along the length of the canal; clean-up and rewatering of the canal and dredging and sediment removal at the two sea locks.

Scottish Canals will host a community pop-in afternoon at Camelon Community Centre’s small hall on Saturday, August 15.

Local residents are invited to pop in between noon and 5pm to discuss the progress of the engineering works and the plan for the final stages of work.

Members of both Scottish Canals and Mackenzie Construction teams will be on hand to answer questions and provide information about all aspects of the project.

With more than 22 million visitors to the canals, towpaths and attractions like the Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies each year, by replacing the lock gates and the related upgrades, Scottish Canals say it will make sure the waterway not only remains open for navigation but also remains in a safe state of repair for all visitors for several decades to come.