Roadworks for four months on the way

FOUR months of roadworks are to begin on a route that has suffered subsidence since the 1950s.

More than £500,000 will be spent fixing the A635 between Holmfirth and Shepley after decades of problems with land slippage.

Kirklees Council has secured funding from the Department of Transport (DfT) for strengthening a section of the major route, which connects Kirklees to the M1 motorway.

The works are planned to take place near the junction with Rowgate near Shepley and will involve building a new reinforced concrete retaining structure.

It will stabilise the ongoing ground movement and prevent the road and the existing wall from collapsing.

Council officials have said the road can remain open but temporary traffic lights will be in place during the project.

Pedestrians will be able to use the footpath on the opposite side of the road to the works. The need for works came about as the retaining wall and carriageway kept collapsing following adverse weather.

This led to partial road closures and disruption for drivers for many months at a time.

A spokesperson for the council said: “This is not a new problem, with attempts to resolve the issue going back as far as the 1950s.

“The proposed remedial works will provide a more permanent solution and will put an end to the problems experienced in the area, securing this key route, which also connects Kirklees with Penistone, Barnsley and Wakefield for years to come.

“The repairs will make the road safer for drivers who use it regularly, as well as providing clear economic benefits for the district as the need for road closures are reduced.”

Contractors will begin the project next Monday, January 8. Cash for the repair, estimated to cost about £540,000, has mostly been secured through Challenge Fund from the Department for Transport.

The council is making an