Having read all the letters concerning the proposed route and the unfeasibility of the building of the canal, let me remind you of my proposal in the past of putting the canal on stilts.

Leaving that aside, if the canal was built as a viaduct across the centre of Swindon, then the building becomes easy. There will be no need to dig through sewers, water and gas pipes or electric cables to do this. This would cut the cost of construction and restrict the amount of congestion with closed roads during building!

Think of it! An airborne canal, lofting its way across the centre of Swindon with an overhead interchange to connect up to the Cricklade stretch, with as many junctions as required.

We could have an airborne marina on the same level as the top floor of the Brunel Centre. All the sections could be made of pre-cast concrete sections fitted together like a giant skylextric' set. There would be no need for more than locks at each end and one at the end of the Cricklade junction. All it would need would be a lagoon at each lifting junction point and the necessary pumping station. The water could be constantly recirculated to the lagoons to lift the barges to the upper level.

As to where Swindon will find all the water necessary to fill this exercise, I cannot say, for with the expansion taking place it will be extremely hard to provide drinking water, let alone non-purified water for the canal. Maybe the council will organise lots of rain dances and the occasional sacrifice to the rain gods to fill this venture?

Other than that it could be possible to lay the pre-cast sections at ground level along the road sections, but there would then be the problems of crossover points and the worsening congestion. No, it would be far better to build it high enough that a double-decker bus could go under it and all problems would be reduced at a stroke.

Swindon would then become one of the wonders of the world and the thrill-seeking public would beat a path to our doors. Offer rides around the town above the traffic and have stop-over points where people can get off the boats to enjoy the new hanging gardens of Babylon and wayside inns! Is there a commission in this idea for me?

B E Woodham.

Old Town.

Swindon