The A646 Falling Royd on Burnley Road in Hebden Bridge is now fully open to two-way traffic, as works to repair the flood-damaged road and retaining wall are complete and all temporary traffic lights have been removed.
The Boxing Day 2015 floods caused a 30-metre long crack in the road after a supporting concrete beam slipped down the hill. Although the road remained open, it was reduced to one lane with temporary traffic lights due to the extent of the damage and the complex engineering works required.
Calderdale Council was keen to not only repair the road and wall, but also to make them more resilient.
The hillside has been stabilised, the retaining wall rebuilt to modern standards, and the road strengthened to provide greater protection from any future flooding at that location. The £750,000 investment was delivered by the Council using Department for Transport flood recovery funding.
A time lapse camera has been filming the work in action on site from start to finish. To see a short clip from this, head to YouTube(external link).
Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Development, said:
“The completion of works at Falling Royd is good news for drivers, who we know have been frustrated by the restrictions on this busy road. It’s also an important moment for the local community as a whole, as we have reached another milestone in Calderdale’s recovery from the floods.
“This has been a complex project requiring great care and attention to detail. We now have a much more secure road and retaining wall to withstand any flooding at this location in the future.”
Falling Royd has been resurfaced and now has new road markings.
In the final stages of the work on site, the temporary traffic lights were reduced to only be operational during off-peak hours, to minimise disruption.
Work is being scheduled for next spring to cut back the overhanging vegetation on site.