Road to close for month for work on rock face

A ROAD in Gwent where motorists face “risk to life or injury” from falling rocks is to be closed for a month for essential safety work.

Part of the A466 between St Arvans and Tintern is being closed by Monmouthshire council in order to carry out “essential safety works” on the rock which faces the roadside.

The council said work to “protect road users from dangerous rock fall” will start on April 6, and is expected to require a full closure of the road for four weeks.

Following this it is expected there will be a further two-week period with a single-lane closure.

The council said it was awaiting final approval from Welsh Government to begin the works.

Dimitri Batrouni, Labour councillor and leader of the opposition at the council, said: “The land is a risk to life or injury and it is unacceptable, and I welcome measures to ensure safety for members of the public.

“But temporary ad-hoc measures and partial closures of different parts of the road, which have been going on for many months now, will only go so far.

“In other countries I have seen, for example, metal netting is put in front of rock near roads. This is something that might be appropriate to ensure the long-term safety of the area.”

Councillor Jane Pratt, cabinet member for infrastructure, said: “It is essential that we undertake these important safety works as efficiently and quickly as possible. We are making every effort to ensure that the works are started early April and completed in the shortest time possible.”