Road to re-open after landslip eight months ago

3 hours ago

Tom MacDougallNorth East & Cumbria

The A592 in the Lake District is reopening after repairs to fix damage caused by a landslip

BBC A large digger installs a metal rod in the slope near Kirkstone Pass. The yellow digger is on the road and a person wearing orange fluorescent uniform watches over. — The A592 in the Lake District is reopening after repairs to fix damage caused by a landslip

A road closed after a landslip left it partially hanging without support will re-open now repairs have been completed.

The A592 at High Kingate - halfway between Troutbeck and the Kirkstone Inn, just before the start of the Kirkstone Pass - will open again on 17 July.

The Lake District road was closed after the landslip in November, which Westmorland and Furness Council said was caused by heavy rainfall.

Liberal Democrats cabinet member for Highways and ICT, Cllr Peter Thornton, said: "We would like to thank those communities, parish councils and businesses for their support and patience."

He said the local authority had tried to repair the road in time for the school summer holidays, "which is obviously peak season for tourism".

The landslip followed recent heavy rain in the county

Westmorland and Furness Council Close up shot of the side of the road with a grey fence in the foreground and trees in the background. There are orange cones by the fence. Underneath the fence is exposed soil which shows signs of a significant landslip. — The landslip followed recent heavy rain in the county

The repair involved rebuilding and strengthening the banking which collapsed using steel bars to reinforce it, as well as a steel mesh to help stabilise the surface, which is hoped to prevent future landslips.

Thornton said: "The project started in the depths of the winter and as anyone who knows this location will understand, it is very narrow, with steep banking above and below, and it's not the easiest place to access.

"But it is also a very well used route, both for local traffic and by tourists accessing Kirkstone Pass and the wonderful attractions in the Ullswater Valley, so it was important for us to try to get it re-opened as quickly as possible."

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