National Highways engineers have developed a solution to protect drivers on the A40 from further rockfalls.
A patterning of steel bolts and steel mesh will be installed across the section of slope that last year was affected by rockfall, with the hope that it will ensure the ‘long-term safety’ of the A40 at Leys Bend on the Herefordshire/Monmouthshire border and allow the road to be fully re-opened.
National Highways route manager, Joseph Walmsley, said: ‘All of our actions are dictated by the need to ensure safety so it was never an option to simply clear the rocks away. Careful and considered steps are required so that we can protect people using our roads, not just now but for many years to come.
‘To that end, we’ve carried out extensive surveys to first help us stabilise the area affected by the rockfall and then enable us to design a permanent solution which will prevent further rockfalls here. Our experts are now finalising the complex engineering solution that will protect this area.
‘We are grateful to people for their understanding while these investigations have been taking place and hope for a little further patience as we progress with the design and installation and work towards getting the road fully open again.’
National Highways has stated that the current contraflow system which is allowing the road to remain open in both directions will remain in place until the works are completed.
Whilst the works were meant to be concluded before summer this year, National Highways has now said that ‘due to the complexities of the planning situation’ and problems related to ‘protecting local wildlife and habitats’, it now expects the work to finish in Winter 2025.
Similar mitgation systems to the one proposed for the A40 were used at the Rest and Be Thankful route in Scotland, however they eventually gave way to a wider, long-term solution including 'a debris flow shelter and catch pit on the line of the existing A83'.
Transport Scotland spent almost £5m on replacing netting along Rest and Be Thankful over the last decade or so, to prevent debris from landslips reaching the road, figures show. This includes £4.6m spent on mitigation nets since 2013.
