The A431 Kelston Road between Bath and Bristol is to stay closed for the ‘foreseeable future’ after serious subsidence underneath the carriageway continued.
The Council closed the road on Monday 17th February to investigate subsidence in the road and ground movement caused by recent rainfall since Christmas.
The Council say it is sparing no effort to establish exactly what underground damage is being caused by water moving deep underground and destabilising the road.
In a statement, they said: “Without understanding the exact path taken by the water, we are not in a position to resolve it in the long-term. We’ve deployed the latest state-of-the-art equipment including CCTV, ground radar technology, expert Geo-technical Engineers and drilling rigs to gather intelligence about the geological characteristics underneath Kelston Road and the adjacent land”
The results of these investigations are as follows:
- The landslip is worse than originally feared – it is still active and the ground is continuing to move. This is causing further cracks on the highway surface;
- High levels of ground water have created intense pressure underground. This has built over a period of months during the severe wet weather;
- The Council cannot risk public safety. The road will continue to be closed for the foreseeable future – this applies to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. There is the potential for a catastrophic landslip that could prove fatal to anyone in its path.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the impact on people’s journeys. We are already in the process of considering the impacts on journey plans for public transport, especially in light of the end of half-term. We have placed temporary electronic road signs on approach to the closure to help inform the travelling public.”
Over the weekend, further investigations will be carried out to capture more information about the topography and geology of the land underground.
Where possible, drivers are being urged to avoid the area. Diversions are in place; inbound to Bath via A431 to Willsbridge, A4175 towards the Hicks Gate roundabout, A4 Keynsham bypass, towards the Globe roundabout, A36 Lower Bristol Road, across Windsor Bridge Road, rejoin A431 at Newbridge Hill. Outbound vice versa.
