‘Naughty’ badgers cause Lake District road to collapse

TUNNELLING badgers have caused a Lake District mountain pass to collapse.

Motorists endured long diversions after a section of the Whinlatter Pass was closed on Monday due to significant surface damage.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said workmen were called in to carry out repairs – but when they looked under the road surface, they found 20 badger runs. Extensive repairs to the section of the road, used by motorists and cyclists, will now stretch into the weekend as the area underneath the surface is filled in.

In the meantime, a gaping hole has been left for diggers.

Road users wanting to use the pass, which is a key link between Keswick and Lorton, near Cockermouth, face a long diversion route – using the A66 at Braithwaite, driving along Bassenthwaite Lake to near Cockermouth, before being able to turn on to the other end of the B5292 towards Low Lorton.

The highway had become weakened due to the animals’ activities.

Work to restore the road is nearing completion, with the final patches of resurfacing scheduled ahead of an expected reopening time of Saturday afternoon. The final

‘Some naughty badgers that had been tunnelling under the road’

repairs are weather dependent.

A spokesman for the council said: “You may be aware we had to close Whinlatter Pass because of some naughty badgers that had been tunnelling under the road, resulting in significant surface damage.

“We worked alongside Natural England to ensure other badger habitats were not compromised.”