A466 Wye Valley reopens after repairs

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Thursday, 1 April 2021 15:23

The main road linking Monmouth and Chepstow has reopened as work to stabilise the slope is now complete.

A rock embankment above the A466 Wye Valley just north of Bigsweir Bridge has been suffering from fractures and sections were falling onto the highway below.

The landslide was posing a danger to the road and the work was essential to ensure the safety of motorists.

The work involved scaling the embankment back to remove loose rock and soil. The embankment was also pinned and netted to prevent any rock falling in the future.

Engineers have been working on site since 1 March 2021 and the road was due to fully reopen on 9 April 2021. However, the work has been carried out more quickly than anticipated and the road is now fully reopen for two way traffic.

Crews have also taken advantage of the road closure to carry out some additional maintenance works including repairing a damaged culvert, replacing 40 verge marker posts and signs, as well as patching works. To prevent the spread of ash dieback, crews have also been working with the Woodland Trust to remove infected ash trees in the area.

Kath Haworth, Head of Highways at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “It’s great that this work is due to finish ahead of schedule. We only fully close roads when absolutely essential but we appreciate the inconvenience caused. We thank local communities for their patience while we completed this work.”