Businesses in Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, and those in between the towns, remain open and trading as normal whilst the A646, Halifax Road remains fully closed.
An emergency road closure is in place in both directions at the junction with Stony Lane, Charlestown, between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, as Yorkshire Water carry out major repairs to a damaged sewer. Work is underway, but due to its complex nature, there is currently no timescale for reopening.
Diversions are in place; the HGV route is via the M62, and local traffic is being diverted via the A58 through Littleborough. Calderdale Council is urging people to follow the signed routes, to avoid additional problems for local communities, as the rural, narrow roads are not suitable for heavy volumes of traffic.
The Council has placed extensive signage on surrounding routes to advise of the closure point and remind people that businesses remain open. Hebden Bridge, and as far as Stony Lane, can be reached from the Halifax side, and people can access as far as Charlestown from the Todmorden side.
The pavement is currently passable for pedestrians at the closure point, but due to safety reasons there is no access for any vehicles. West Yorkshire Metro has been informed and there are diversions or service changes for bus services and school buses in the area. More information on these is available at https://www.wymetro.com/plan-a-journey/travel-news/bus-travel-alerts/(external link)
The Council continues to liaise with Yorkshire Water and is requesting regular updates on the work and its potential timescales.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, Cllr Sarah Courtney, said:
“We absolutely understand how disruptive this emergency road closure is, and as a local resident I know that people living and working in the area are concerned about the timing and duration of the closure.
“We’re doing all we can to advise people that businesses are still open as normal and would appreciate people’s support, especially at this busy time of year. Our towns can still be accessed up to the closure point and trains are running as normal.
“We have also increased signage advising of diversion routes and specific locations of the closure, going well beyond national guidelines to give people as much information as possible and to try and minimise the impacts on local communities.
“Please follow the official diversions and do not attempt to drive beyond the closure point. The road is closed for people’s safety and barriers are in place to make sure that everyone remains safe.”
A map showing the exact location of the closure can be found at https://one.network/?GB141499578=(external link)