'UK's wonkiest road' set to reopen after landslip

A Wiltshire road dubbed Britain's wonkiest after it was ripped up by a landslip is "on track" to reopen this spring.

The B4069 Lyneham Banks has been shut since February 2022, when Storm Eunice caused a major landslip.

Wiltshire Council has since spent about £5m fixing the route.

The authority's cabinet member for highways Nick Holder said, unless there are "huge amounts of cold weather or rain", the road is expected to open in spring as planned.

Mr Holder said an exact reopening date would be announced when the council is "confident" it would be met.

"We're on track, the contractors have done a really good job," he added.

Mr Holder said a weakness in the road and increased groundwater in the area also contributed to the damage.

He explained the repair work had been "very complex" due to the landslip making the ground unstable.

"We've had to do significant amounts of pre-work to secure the area before we can actually reconstruct the road," he added.

The road was likened to "something from a disaster movie" by locals and businesses in the area said the three-year closure had impacted trade.

Mr Holder said: "This has been a significant construction project and I completely understand that we've had businesses disrupted.

"We've had local villages that have had their lanes used by the 5,000 vehicles that have been displaced.

"But we've had to crack on with it and it's cost us circa £5m to get this fixed."

Simon Manners, landlord of the Cross Keys pub in Bradenstoke, a village sitting just off the B4069, has seen a dramatic drop in business since the road has been closed.

"We have noticed a hell of a drop in foot fall traffic," he said.

"There are a couple of customers who still make the effort.

"Not as regularly as they used to but they are still coming up to see us."

When asked if he thought the road would open on time, he replied: "Seeing is believing.

"We've been waiting three years for it to get sorted when other roads in the country would have been done instantly."

Mr Manners said that while locals have been told the new sections of road "should hold for 100 years," he feared parts that were not damaged in the last landslip were likely to need repairing in future.

During the project the council held sessions for residents to meet the contractors.

Mr Holder said this proved such a success, it plans to do the same for future projects including its upgrade of the A350 at Chippenham.

"For some, it's really interesting to understand some of the technical construction details that we've had to put in place to stop the landscape from moving," he said.

"We think it's really helpful to have face-to-face meetings with people... who are affected by works."

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