An £11m project to restore the historic Droitwich Barge Canal in the West Midlands has reached a new milestone after construction work was completed on a tunnel to carry a new towpath under the A449.

The 75m (246ft) tunnel will form part of plans to create a 21-mile (33.8km) canal loop for holiday and leisure boating, while the restoration scheme also includes work on 12 existing locks, the creation of four new locks and an additional 1km (0.6miles) of canal. Work is being carried out by the Droitwich Canals Restoration Partnership, which was set up in 2000 and comprises British Waterways (BW), Worcestershire County Council, the Waterways Trust, Wychavon District Council and Droitwich Canals Trust.

The original single-carriageway canal bridge that once occupied the site of the new tunnel was filled in during the Second World War in order to cope with the weight of tanks being transported towards the south coast in preparation for D-Day. BW project manager Jason Leach said: "The creation of this tunnel is a significant milestone for the restoration project and its completion has been long-awaited by many. The newly-constructed tunnel and towpath will soon be open for the public to explore and a major link in the 21-mile canal and river loop."

It is expected that the restored Droitwich Barge Canal, which was last used by working barges in 1939, will attract more than 320,000 visitors within five years, providing a £2.75m boost to the local economy each year.