Forth & Clyde Canal: Lock 16 Bypass and Falkirk Flight Gate Replacement Programme

Why are the works needed?

It is almost 25 years since the Millennium Link Project re-opened Scotland’s Lowland canal network, turning derelict waterways into thriving spaces for nature and people.

Oak gates, like those installed during the Project, last an average of 25 years in the water. That’s because they are subject to immense pressure from thousands of cubic litres of water, weather and erosion, as well as wear and tear from regular use. With their anniversary approaching, many of the gates on the Falkirk Flight are now due for replacement under a multi-million-pound programme financed by our Capital Investment Fund. 

Throughout 2025 and 2026, we will replace a total of 10 lock gates along the canal in addition to installing a bypass at lock 16. We’ll also take the opportunity, while navigation is suspended and water levels lowered, to carry out inspection and maintenance work at each of the locks. This work is essential to keeping the Forth & Clyde Canal open and to ensuring this space can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. 

The site compound is based at the Union Inn car park. 

Information for boaters

Please note that navigation between locks 3 and 16 is now suspended until August 2026 to accommodate the full series of works. If you have any questions about the upcoming works programme and impacts upon moorings, please contact our Moorings Team direct at moorings@scottishcanals.co.uk. For questions about impacts on navigation, please contact Lowland.canals@scottishcanals.co.uk.

Update (28th January 2026): New Re-Opening Date and 2026 Programme of Works

The re-opening of the Falkirk Flight of the Forth & Clyde Canal (between locks 3 and 16) is now rescheduled for August 2026. Navigation will remain suspended along this section of the canal for the duration. 

To date, we have replaced six sets of lock gates (upstream and downstream gates at Lock 16, as well as downstream gates at locks 15, 14, 13 and 12). Meanwhile, our Maintenance Team has over-planked the upstream gates on several locks to extend their lifetimes. 

We have also installed a new lock bypass beneath the busy Lock 16 bridge – an important step in ensuring safe and reliable water management along the canal in the years ahead. 

While the canal was dewatered and excavations were underway in 2025, we also carried out a series of inspections to ascertain the condition of the canal bed and structure. This gave us an unprecedented view of the embankments, masonry and clay linings – seeing areas of the canal that have been covered for many decades.  

The result was that we identified additional repairs were needed to the canal. With the scope of work increasing throughout the year, we have faced some delays to the project, pushing our timelines further out.  

As a consequence, we have decided to extend the project timeline to August 2026 as the only way to guarantee the safety, quality and durability of the canal. 

Upcoming works programme 

From 16th February, we will dewater the Forth & Clyde Canal between locks 3 and 16. 

Before the canal is fully dewatered, we will organise a Fish Rescue, similar to the one we carried out last year. Fish still located in this section of the canal will be captured and then released further downstream. 

From March to July, we will replace the downstream gates at locks 11, 10, 9 and 7 with a continued programme of inspections, repairs and over-planking. While the canal is drained, we will also conduct a series of asset inspections and temporary repair works at Lock 4.  The canal will be rewatered by July. 

A towpath diversion will be in place from 9th February to the end of the works programme. Signage showing alternative routes to the closed sections of towpath will be in place along the canal.  

You can view detailed diversion maps below. 

FAQs – Progress of the Falkirk Flight Engineering Programme 

Why have there been delays to the works programme? 

Our canals are a familiar part of the landscape and offer important cycling and walking routes that connect our communities. They are also scheduled historic monuments – the Forth & Clyde is 235 years old and must be managed in compliance with heritage legislation as well as sensitivity to its age and condition.  

These structures are also subject to enormous pressure from the millions of cubic tonnes of water that flow through them, pressure of the soil and rock alongside them, effects of temporary surges in water levels, and the many ways they are weathered (freeze-thaw cycles that crack or shift masonry, prolonged hot weather that can dry the clay linings and heavy rainfall events). 

They also face all the usual effects of time – corrosion of metals, biological growth, rotting and degradation of timbers. 

Added to all of these factors that can complicate engineering and excavations, there are the many unknowns about the state of the canal’s structure that we can only discover once the canal is dewatered and we start to delve into it. 

Finally, we need to take a careful and sensitive approach to the canals, ensuring we are properly protecting the natural habitats and wildlife, maintaining safe water controls, and working in compliance with legislation on scheduled monuments. 

As we have worked, the list of essential repairs and upgrades needed to maintain public safety (both for local residents and boaters) has grown, causing significant delays to our programme.  

Throughout, we have prioritised covering off all of the tasks needed to ensure public safety and prevent imminent failure of the canal’s structure and gates. 

Why was the programme of works planned in this way? 

Lock gates made from oak typically last 25 years in the water: all of the gates along the Falkirk Flight were installed during the Millennium Link project, meaning that they are fast approaching replacement.  

Replace them too early and we risk losing out on years of their service, and too late – they could pose a safety risk to boaters if they fail. As we monitored their condition in recent years, we concluded that replacing the gates now would be the best and safest option. 

With such an extensive programme of works, and the canal being dewatered for long periods, it has also given us the opportunity to carry out more detailed inspections of those parts of the canal normally out of view or difficult of access.  

That is why we have tried to package as many of the repairs, upgrades and maintenance tasks together as possible, preventing future shutdowns of the canal. 

Why are you dewatering such a long section of the canal?  

By dewatering to Lock 3, we will be able to carry out a full asset inspection of Lock 4 and over-planking of the gates there. It will allow us to work efficiently along the rest of the canal as we complete the gate replacements and additional repairs. We need to dewater the canal to Lock 16, as we will use the bypass and Carmuirs Weir to maintain water controls along the canal. 

What will be the impact on local residents and commuters? 

The towpath and road closures associated with the construction of the Lock 16 bypass over the summer brought disruption to local traffic, pedestrians and cyclists.  

The support and tolerance of the local community throughout that time was deeply appreciated and important to being able to progress that challenging phase of the programme. 

With most of the upcoming works set to be confined within the locks, we do not foresee this level of traffic disruption again. We anticipate two short closures (1-2 days on each occasion) of the road by Lock 11, first for the lifting of the old gates and then for the installation of the new gates. Dates and diversion routes will be publicised nearer the time. 

With the dewatering of the canal, there will also be towpath diversions in place from 9th February to the end of the works programme in July. Signage showing alternative routes to the closed sections of towpath will be in place along the canal You can view the alternative route maps above. 

The site compound will remain in place in the car park of the Union Inn close to Lock 16 until the end of the works programme in August. 

How will you assist moorings customers?

Our Moorings Team has reached out to all affected moorings customers, who are currently located in alternative berths. Those who wish to remain in their current alternative moorings will be able to do so, or we will work with our boat residents to find other spots.

The moorings team can be reached on moorings@scottishcanals.co.uk (Monday to Friday). 

Which sections of the canal are still navigable over the summer? 

Navigation will remain suspended between locks 3 and 16 of the canal up until August 2026, but all other stretches of the canal remain open for holiday boats, hire boats and moorings customers. 

Next year marks the 25th anniversary of the Falkirk Flight, what are you doing to celebrate this milestone? 

By the end of the summer in 2026, this section of canal will be refitted, repaired and ready for its next 25 years (and beyond). We look forward to welcoming our boating community, visitors and local communities to the celebrations when we re-open the canal. We’ll release more details nearer the time. 

Contact us 

If you have concerns or queries about the work in your community, please contact us on enquiries@scottishcanals.co.uk, or on 0141 332 6936 (Monday to Thursday 08:30 ‑ 17:00, and on Friday 08:30 ‑ 16:30). 

Should you need to contact the team urgently outside of working hours, please call Scottish Canals’ emergency number, 0800 072 9900 (open 24 hours a day for reporting an immediate threat to the environment, wildlife or public safety).