Bath: Kelston Road Closure

3 March 2014, 19:29 | Updated: 3 March 2014, 19:34

The A431 Kelston Road is to remain closed for at least 6 months.

BANES Council have released the following statement:

'Following the closure of the Kelston Road in mid-February, the ground remains unstable and the landslip is still active. The Council is sparing no effort to establish exactly what underground damage is being caused by water moving deep underground and destabilising the road. Without understanding the exact path taken by the water, we are not in a position to resolve it in the long-term.

Over recent weeks, we’ve deployed the latest state-of-the-art equipment including CCTV, ground radar technology, expert independent Geotechnical Engineers and drilling rigs to gather intelligence about the geological characteristics underneath Kelston Road and the adjacent land. As a result of the continuing ground movement, up to 20 boreholes need to be drilled, including on land either side of the road. Additional excavations will be dug to examine underground features.

Monitoring points have been set up to ensure we can continue to monitor any movement before, during and after the works. Inclinometers will be installed.

The works so far have indicated that the ground is slipping by as much as 7 metres below the road surface. Due to the complexity of this problem, the Council will need to complete an analysis and design of permanent works to the best repair in terms of cost, effectiveness and completion time.

Based upon a comparison with with similar landslips elsewhere in the country the works will take at least 6 months to complete.

Closing the road is not a decision we have taken lightly. We understand the impact on people’s journeys - but the safety of the travelling public is absolutely paramount and until there is a solution in place we cannot consider allowing vehicles, cyclists or people on foot to use this stretch of highway. It is simply too dangerous.

We have placed temporary electronic road signs on approach to the closure to help inform the travelling public. Where possible, we urge people 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.'