Cracks repair could close road
A key road outside Bath may need to fully close to repair “huge cracks” in the surface.
One side of the A36 was coned off near Limpley Stoke Hill in June, with temporary traffic lights in place.
Wil Bailey, who lives nearby, said at the time: “It’s been going on intermittently for a number of years.
“The roadway overhangs what is almost a cliff and cracks appeared here nine years ago.
“Eventually we managed to get the Highways Agency to come out.
“They closed the road completely and did some very deep concreting to stop that section from slipping and they said we would have no more problems. But now it’s started again 50 metres above my drive. More cracks have been appearing in the Tarmac pavement over the last two years and a couple of days ago they opened up much wider.”
Guy Swains, the engineering team manager at Highways England, said there were “surface defects on the footpath” and that the agency was investigating why these had appeared.
Two months later, the Warminster Road is still closed on one side and no repairs have been made.
Mr Swains said stabilising work may
require a full road closure and would therefore have to wait until Cleveland Bridge reopened. His full statement said: “We have now completed the survey designs, allowing us to investigate the cause of surface defects on a footpath adjacent to the southbound carriageway section of the A36 between Limpley Stoke Viaduct and Limpley Stoke Village without causing further damage to the road.
“We have also been in touch with Bath and North East Somerset Council and Wiltshire Council in regards to the timing of the main surveys and any full closures of the road.
“This is to ensure all work takes place following the reopening of Cleveland Bridge to ensure minimum disruption to local residents and motorists.”