When ‘Devil’s Bend’ will open after wall collapsed into road
“IT WAS AN INTELLIGENT DECISION TO CLOSE IT AND LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT”
WORK to repair a collapsed wall on a busy route in Nottinghamshire will take another week to complete, it has been confirmed.
A section of the structure in Town Street, Bramcote Village, has been closed past where it meets Chilwell Lane after a small landslide caused a wall to collapse.
Bricks, mud and debris tumbled into the middle of the road at the corner known locally as ‘Devil’s Bend.’
The incident happened at around 1.30pm on Sunday, February 7.
As a result, the usually busy road was closed by Nottinghamshire Police with a blockade established and a sign informing motorists to seek an alternative route.
The busy route in Bramcote Village was set to remain closed until the end of this week to allow repair works to be completed.
But an update from Nottinghamshire County Council confirmed the road closure is now expected to continue until February 26.
A large diversion has been put in place for motorists, as there is no other direct route.
With the route being a much-used cut through for many motorists, residents in the area are making the most of the quieter road with most feeling positive about the repairs.
Rob Greer, a resident and member of the Bramcote Conservation Society said he was “more than happy” to see the road closed.
“It is a conservation area after all and we’re just enjoying the road not being as busy.
“Despite heavy goods vehicles not being permitted down here, we do see them.
“It is used as a bit of a rat run and people drive quite fast.”
Ian Bowley, a resident of five years, said: “It’s great for us really, as we can still use Cow Lane to get past the closure.
“I think the road has always been a concern anyway as the pavements are so small and people drive quite fast.
“It’s a challenge for the area and you have always got to be careful when pulling out.”
A resident, aged 72, who wished to remain anonymous, added: “It’s been a big improvement having it closed - you can cross the road with ease now.
“The pollution has been cut down and it fits with the character of a conservation area.
“I’ve been here 20 years and it has gradually got more and more busy and the road was never designed for that volume of traffic.”
Paula Hopwood, who lives on the Chilwell Lane side of the bend, said due to lockdown the closure wasn’t having too much impact.
Ms Hopwood, who works at the University of Nottingham, said: “It’s fine as long as it doesn’t go on for too long.
“When they did work on the bend in 2019, it was closed for two months and it was quite hard with our work commutes and the school run.
“But at the moment with lockdown, we’re not really going anywhere.
“I just hope whatever work is done, it will last.”
The same bit of road was closed for a number of weeks back in 2019 while work to reinforce the concrete walls and improve the safety of the road was conducted.
Gary Wood, Head of Highways and Transport at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Our team has now removed sections of the wall that were unsafe and excavated the surrounding soil to release the pressure against it.
“Now the poor weather has passed we will be able to make progress with the rebuilding works, our current estimate is that the road will be reopened by Friday, February 26.
“We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.”