Works to finally resolve flooding issues in the Devonshire Tunnel on the Two Tunnels route in Bath have begun this week.
Flooding at the Devonshire Tunnel in January 2024 | Photo courtesy of @twotunnelsbath on X
Bath & North East Somerset Council is installing a pump at the entrance to the tunnel on behalf of Sustrans, which owns and manages the route.
The shared-use Two Tunnels Greenway connects the city and the Midford Valley.
The Devonshire is the shorter of the tunnels, the other being the Combe Down Tunnel, which is the longest cycling and walking tunnel in the UK.
The pump will divert floodwater uphill and bypass the original Victorian cast iron pipework that is no longer fit for purpose to drain the water in the Devonshire Tunnel.
The works are expected to take eight weeks to complete. It is hoped that the tunnel will remain fully open until 3rd November for the first part of the works, however from 4th November it will be closed while the works are safely completed.
There will be signs at both ends of the tunnel throughout the works to inform users about the closures and timescales.
Councillor Paul Roper, the council’s cabinet member for economic and cultural sustainable development, said: “The original Victorian drainage in the Devonshire Tunnel has not been able to withstand the increasingly severe rainfall we have experienced in recent years.
“These essential works to install a pump will future-proof the route and ensure that it can remain open throughout future weather events.
“This is an important route for both commuting and pleasure and we apologise for the inconvenience while the works are carried out; however, this is a long-term fix that needs to be done.”
