Road to close as landslip repair works begin
BBCMajor roadwork repairs following a landslip during Storm Babet will lead to road closures lasting more than nine months.
An embankment on the B6343 Mitford Road, near Morpeth, Northumberland, collapsed during heavy rain in 2023.
Northumberland County Council put repair costs at around £3.5m, but that sum has since risen to £4.6m, with the works set to start over the summer.
The council said the project was likely to involve a "very challenging" working environment, with boulders and tree roots in the impacted area requiring a "highly complex engineering solution".
The council said the works were further complicated by the necessity of leaving the river's course undisturbed due to the potential flood risk downstream, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.
The authority said the repairs would mend any damage and stabilise the embankment, safeguarding the road against future undermining by the River Wansbeck.
It has estimated the repairs will take about 40 weeks.
Council leader Glen Sanderson said the landslip had caused "frustrating delays for many motorists and we are sorry for that.
"The full cost of this has to come from our funding – there is no special help we can call upon from government sadly," he continued.
"These are complex works and we have overcome a number of hurdles that have held up the project."
The council said it was waiting for Northern Powergrid to move a cable which was "the last obstacle to overcome".
During the road closure, a diversion will operate along St Leonard's Lane, while larger vehicles will be diverted via the B6524, the council said.
A pedestrian route will be in place, south of the B6343, but will not be suitable for pushchairs or mobility scooters.