Holliday Street Aqueduct facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Holliday Street Aqueduct |
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Holliday Street Aqueduct, 1870
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| Coordinates | 52°28′34″N 1°54′28″W / 52.4762°N 1.9079°W |
| Carries | Worcester and Birmingham Canal |
| Crosses | Holliday Street |
| Locale | Birmingham |
| Maintained by | Canal & River Trust |
| Heritage status | Grade II listed |
| Characteristics | |
| Trough construction | Cast Iron |
| Pier construction | Cast Iron |
| Traversable? | Yes |
| Towpaths | West side |
| Number of spans | Three |
The Holliday Street Aqueduct is a special kind of bridge that carries a canal over a street. It's located in the center of Birmingham, England. This amazing structure is a Grade II listed building, which means it's important and protected because of its history and design.
This aqueduct was built in 1870. It's made from strong cast iron. It helps the Worcester and Birmingham Canal cross over Holliday Street. There's also a wide road on top of the aqueduct. This road used to lead to Worcester Wharf, which is now a housing area. The aqueduct is very close to the Gas Street Basin, a busy spot for canals.
Just south of Holliday Street, the Cross-City Line railway runs in a tunnel. This railway line goes parallel to Holliday Street. A little further south, there's an old, unused railway tunnel. This tunnel was part of an older railway line. The canal makes a sharp turn near The Mailbox and The Cube. After the turn, it runs alongside the railway tunnels.
Why Did the Aqueduct Leak in 2015?
In February 2015, engineers found a problem with the aqueduct. Water from the canal was leaking into the old, unused railway tunnel below. To fix this, they had to drain the canal. They used two temporary dams to hold the water back. After checking carefully, they found a hole in the bottom of the canal. This hole was causing the leak. Once the hole was fixed, the canal could be filled with water again.
