Bingley Three Rise locks will have replacement gates fitted next month.
A British Waterways team will move on site on November 5 to start to remove the six oak gates with a crane and install the new sets.
The huge job of replacing the Grade II-listed staircase will be completed by Christmas.
During the work, there will be towpath restrictions and the canal will be closed to boats from November 5 to December 15.
It has large gates, the heaviest weighing 5.5 tons, because the structure enables boats to rise 30 feet up the canal.
Replacing the gates at Bingley is the first of many operations carried out by British Waterways during their annual closed or stoppage' season which lasts from November until Easter, 2008.
This year's programme includes spending £355,000 repairing and carrying out maintenance work on the 270 miles of rivers and canals which make up British Waterways Yorkshire region.
Laurence Morgan, General Manager, British Waterways, Yorkshire said: "Preserving our heritage assets such as locks is an extremely important part of our job - as well as making sure we carry out the work sympathetically."
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