A YEAR ago the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal breached its banks sending 36,000 tonnes of earth spilling on to a nearby road and houses.

Since then British Waterways (BW) has put £7.5 million into rectifying the damage caused and with 100 people working at the Gilwern site each day, it is on course to open for the 2009 visitor season.

The breach created a gaping hole in the canal that was 70 feet across and around 40 feet deep.

But now the canal bed is taking shape once again. BW project officer Mark Durham described work undertaken on a site visit to mark the anniversary of the breach on Thursday.

He said: "When we investigated the breach, we found there was in fact 16 miles of canal that needed to be drained and made more secure.

"The work undertaken has been to reline the waterway bed, repair the bank and upgrade culverts."

In total, £14 million will be invested over three year's to secure the canal's long-term future. Around £160,000 was saved by retrieving the 36,000 tonnes of earth that had spilled down the banking.

This was dried out in a nearby field. It will be placed back around the canal edge and should allow all the original plants to grow back.

Mr Durham said it has been the biggest project BW has undertaken in recent years and has taken a third of its national budget for the year.

He added it was important that local firms have been working with its principal contractor, Morrison Construction.

Because of the breach’s affect on the local economy, this ensures the project gives some money to the area.

BW Wales and border counties general manager Julie Sharman said: "The challenge now is to secure the long term future of this waterway, which represents far more than a leisure amenity for boaters and anglers.

"The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal is a major tourism magnet which contributes £17 million annually to the economy of Wales."