A591 in Cumbria to reopen following Storm Desmond and Eva

The Transport Secretary has announced that the storm-damaged A591 is set to reopen by the end of May 2016.

Patrick McLoughin has announced that the vital Lake District Route is set to reopen in May after it was closed between St Johns in the Vale and Dunmail Raise since December, after suffering significant damage caused by storms.

Highways England will deliver a full and permanent reinstatement of the road to enable it to open to the public as soon as possible. They are overseeing the complex survey work required to identify any further measures that may be needed. Once identified, Highways England and their contractors will manage and deliver the work.

Kier Highways have been appointed to repair the section of the road which has collapsed a Dunmail Raise.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: “Restoring the A591 is a vital part of our plan to get Cumbria back on its feet after the devastating floods caused by the recent storms. Tourism is an essential part of the local economy and I am pleased that work is underway to repair this major route between Grasmere and Keswick.”

Leader of Cumbria County Council Stewart Young said: “In the interim we are working on plans to have a public transport link in place to connect Keswick and Grasmere by the start of February which will utilise the temporary road we are constructing up the east side of Dunmail Raise. This will be in place until the full road reopening.”

Works to rebuild the Dunmail Raise section will include improvements that will reduce the risk of collapse in the future.

Businesses and Communities have been affected by the closure of Cumbria’s A591.

The Transport Secretary also visited sites around the area that had been hit by the storms and received government funding. In Middleton, he viewed a temporary bridge that had been put in place, through £19,000 investment from the government which prevented residents from having to take a 25 mile diversion.

He also visited Bailey Bridge between Old Hutton and Kendal which is receiving £35,000 of government funding, and 800 miles of restoration works at Stainton Village, where serious damage was caused to the roads. The government funding of £130,000 allowed for full repairs and resurfacing.

Pooley Bridge will be fitted with a temporary road bridge by Easter, costing almost £300,000, funded from the £40M pledged by the government for rebuilding local transport infrastructure for flood-affected areas across Cumbria and Lancashire.

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