Road closed for three weeks so experts can investigate hidden historic canal under Cardiff street

Alex Seabrook, local democracy reporter

A road in Cardiff will be closed for up to three weeks so experts can investigate a historic canal hidden beneath the road for 70 years.

The northern section of Churchill Way off Queen Street will be closed from Monday, January 11, from Queen Street to North Edward Street.

The “ground investigation assessments” are part of the plan to reopen the dock feeder canal beneath Churchill Way, to help reduce the risk of flooding from rainwater. Designs for the reopened canal were revealed last month.

The Dock Feeder Canal which runs under Churchill Way was constructed around 1840 in order to supply water to the Docks in Cardiff Bay so that they could be operated even at low tide.

This allowed Cardiff’s docks to operate 24-hours a day and played a key role in the development of the city’s industrial economy.

While Churchill Way is closed as the assessment work continues, buses and taxis should divert down North Edward Street, a Cardiff council spokesman said.

Deliveries and emergency vehicles can access Queen Street from Newport Road and exit onto Castle Street. Drivers will still be able to access all off-street car parks on North Edward Street.

‘Exciting’

A council spokesman said: “The north section of Churchill Way will be closed on Monday, January 11, for up to three weeks so that ground investigation assessments can be carried out underneath the road, as part of the proposed plan to re-open the dock feeder canal.

“The proposed re-opening of the dock feeder canal is part of an exciting new scheme which was announced before Christmas, which could see Boulevard de Nantes, Stuttgarter Strasse, Dumfries Place and Station Terrace remodelled to replace an ‘outdated’ road network.”

The plans form part of a wider push to completely change the east of Cardiff’s city centre, including redesigning roads to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Full details of the City Centre East plans are available online at: keepingcardiffmoving.co.uk/project/city-centre-east