Blisworth Tunnel has no tow path inside, but is wide enough for two narrowboats to pass in opposite directions. Work began in 1793, but errors by contractor left a wiggle in the tunnel, and after three years work it collapsed due to quicksand, claiming the lives of 14 men. It was then decided to begin again with a new tunnel. By the time the rest of the Grand Junction Canal had opened between London and Braunston, Northamptonshire in 1800, apart from the crossing of the River Great Ouse, the section of canal from Blisworth to the lower end of Stoke Bruerne locks
Netherton Tunnel Branch Canal prior to construction. The main reason for the project being overbudget was the extra works necessitated by the condition of the ground through which the tunnel passes. In 1983, the British Waterways Board had of the brick invert replaced with concrete as a result of the invert rising sufficiently to impede navigation. In 2011, significant cracks were found in part of the tunnel lining. Traffic through the tunnel was limited, as a result. Repair work began early in 2013. The canal runs south-west from the BCN New Main Line at Dudley Port Junction and under the Old Main Line at