Reassurance over A66 repairs at Bassenthwaite Lake
Drivers in Cumbria are being reassured work to repair the A66 at Bassenthwaite Lake is underway with a lane reopening by the end of the month (April).
A short section of the westbound dual carriageway alongside the lake north of Keswick was closed in December after landslips caused by the storms which swept through the county.
As an immediate priority, lane 2 of the eastbound carriageway was opened up to westbound traffic and the contraflow arrangement has remained in place while Highways England investigates the extent of the damage and options for repairs.
Andy Withington, Highways England’s service delivery manager for the North West, promised this week the westbound carriageway will be partially reopened by the end of this month.
He said:
We’re completing our investigations into ground conditions which will help us draw up options for a permanent repair but in the meantime we’ll be installing temporary safety barriers to enable a single lane to be opened for traffic travelling in the westbound direction. This will be in place by the end of the month.
We know there’s been a lot of public interest in the closure and while the temporary contraflow arrangement has been working well, we’d like to reassure people that fully reopening the westbound carriageway is a priority.
As part of ongoing investigations to inform plans to fully reopen the westbound carriageway, lane closures of the eastbound carriageway will be taking place until the end of May but timed to ensure inconvenience to drivers is kept to a minimum.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.