The road between Tipton St John and The Bowd in East Devon has today (Friday 8 May) re-opened with temporary traffic lights in place following an extensive repair scheme.
The road was closed for safety reasons by Devon County Council in late January after a section partially collapsed during Storm Chandra when the supporting embankment failed.
A new 18-metre retaining wall has been constructed to support the road on this stretch, and the road itself has been rebuilt.
While the road closure was in place, work also started on a nearby section of the road, around 400 metres away. This stretch was starting to show signs of the supporting embankment beginning to slip, and temporary works have been undertaken. This will now allow a new retaining wall to be constructed which will prevent structural damage.
Although the work on this section is continuing, the remaining elements can be carried out under temporary traffic lights over the coming weeks to minimise the impact on the public.
Councillor Jess Bailey, County Councillor for Otter Valley, said:
“This road is a really important link for the Otter Valley and its closure has been extremely disruptive for residents and businesses in the area. I am absolutely delighted that the road could be re-opened today under traffic lights whilst the works are being completed. This has been a large project and I am very grateful to the engineers at DCC for all their hard work in getting the road back in action.”
The scheme is expected to be completed by July.