Shiplake Lock on the River Thames in Oxfordshire will remain closed for longer than originally anticipated following a collision involving a boat that resulted in damage to the facility.

On Tuesday, April 7, a barge collided with the lock gate, leaving Shiplake Lock—which lies between Shiplake and Lower Shiplake on the Oxfordshire side—inoperative with no definitive schedule for repairs.

The following day, the agency announced that the lock would be closed to all vessel traffic with no immediate prospect of reopening, although an initial target date of Thursday, April 16 had been mentioned.

The most recent update from the agency indicates that specialists need further time to finish the intricate repairs required for the gate.

Equipment such as floating pontoons and equipment specifically designed to move the gate into position were brought in on Tuesday, April 14, and will now be delivered and assembled at the location.

The repositioning work is expected to begin on Monday, April 20, with the agency expecting the lock to reopen once these efforts are concluded.

A spokesperson for the agency indicated that while work on restoring the asset continues to receive top priority, the technically demanding nature of the lifting operation alongside associated safety protocols means the contractor requires additional time to ensure the gate can be raised and repositioned securely.

Because of the time now required to review the full scope of operations, the start of lifting work could be pushed back to Monday, April 20.

Once the lock gate has been refitted, inspections of its opening mechanism will be carried out to verify safe functionality. The lock will be reopened once this has been confirmed.

If any further problems emerge, customers will be informed and all urgent work will take precedence.

The latest information can be found on the gov.uk website.