A major route through Derbyshire will remain closed after recent heavy rainfall caused several sections of the road to slip.
The A57 Snake Pass was closed on Monday 21 February 2022 following damage caused by torrential rain as Storm Eunice and then Storm Franklin battered the county.
Inspectors found movement in 3 locations along a mile-long section of the road and a decision was made to close the road between Glossop and Ladybower Reservoir to protect road users. Visitor facilities at Fairholmes are unaffected and can be accessed via Sheffield.
Two of the areas of slippage were already being monitored carefully following previous movement but a third, more serious slip, has now appeared along the road where the verge has dropped by 2 metres.
Teams will continually monitor the situation but as the ground is still moving they are unable to come up with any final designs to repair the road until it has stabilised, which will be dependent on many factors including the weather.
At this stage, a one-month closure is in place however it is too early to say when the road will be able to reopen following any necessary repairs due to the unstable nature of the ground.
Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Assets and Transport, Councillor Kewal Singh Athwal, said:
“I know this will be a huge inconvenience to everyone who uses the A57 regularly.
“However, with the ground underneath the road surface expected to continue to move, in the interests of everyone’s safety we simply cannot allow traffic to use the road.
“This is an evolving situation but please be assured we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“Once the land movement has stopped we will assess what needs doing to repair the sections of road. However, once in a position to do this it will be a complicated piece of work.
“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we deal with the aftermath of this unprecedented weather which has affected not only Derbyshire but much of the country.”
It’s not known how long it will take the ground to stabilise before thorough assessments can be carried out.
In the meantime, local access will be maintained for residents. Drivers are asked to follow the diversion route through Hathersage, Hope, Doveholes, Whaley Bridge, New Mills, Hayfield and Glossop and visa versa.
