Asda Tunnel (Ashton Canal)
This short tunnel was created around 1990 when an Asda superstore was built across what had hitherto been a canal cutting. The towpath between Cavendish Street and Whitelands in the Dukinfield area of Ashton-under-Lyne was not on the definitive map and British Waterways and Tameside MBC agreed to a towpath diversion around the new store and through its car park, rather than providing a towpath through the tunnel. There were representations by TAG and by the Ashton Packet Boat Co who operate horse-drawn boats from Guide Bridge, but to to no avail.
Until early in 2005 the route was obvious enough and clearly marked. From the east (Whitelands and the Huddersfield Narrow Canal) the towpath leaves the canal just before the tunnel and rises up a number of shallow steps to the side of the store, where a footpath route is marked out on the tarmac beside the car park. A pedestrian crossing in front of the main doors provides access to a ramp which leads back down to the towpath below Cavendish Street.
However a retaining wall west of Cavendish Street failed in 2005, causing the towpath under Cavendish Street to become unusable, and as a result a heavy grille was placed across the top of the ramp in the Asda car park (pictured right). No clear alternative route has been marked.
The default route is to carefully make ones way to the vehicle entrance on Cavendish Street, where traffic lights offer a semblance of a chance of a safe crossing. From here, walk up the street to where a ramped path just before the bridge leads down, over the top of the failed retaining wall (!) to the towpath.
From the west (Portland Basin) the route was obvious enough until the wall failure in 2005. Now (March 2006) pedestrians faced with the fenced off path (pictured left) reach the top of the ramp on Cavendish Street and can be excused for wondering where to go next.
Bear right and walk down to the traffic lights in order to enter the Asda car park, from where you should carefully make your way to the side of store where the marked path can be followed down to the towpath again.
We are continuing to press for a resolution to this problem as the Asda car park is not geared to pedestrians and Cavendish Street is a busy road to cross - the traffic lights not being synchronised to give less able walkers a reasonable time to cross.