Cars could be banned from Snake Pass with A57 only opening for cyclists and walkers

Around 30,000 vehicles use the A57 Snake Pass every day, including 1,500 heavy goods vehicles, with road users warned over a campaign for change.
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Cars could be banned from an iconic UK road amid calls to only allow access for cycling and walking. Around 30,000 vehicles use the A57 Snake Pass every day, including 1,500 heavy goods vehicles, with road users warned over a campaign for change.

Charlotte Cupit, cabinet member for transport at Derbyshire County Council, said: "I think that Snake Pass because of the geology of the area has always been a bit of a challenge in terms of landslips and movement in the area."

"Sadly with some of the floods, and some of the big snowfall events, Snake bears the brunt of that quite often because it's one of the highest points in the county," she told the BBC. Roger Hargreaves, director of Glossop Heritage Trust, said it was built as a turnpike - or toll road - to connect Sheffield with Manchester.

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"In the late 18th Century Sheffield was growing very rapidly, and the iron and steel trade had a lot of customers to the west in Manchester, and it had a big export trade with America through Liverpool," he said. "First of all the summit is at nearly 1,700ft, very exposed, and sometimes it was closed by snow for months in the winter," Mr Hargreaves said.

"It was also built along ground which was not stable, and so it was really not a good idea to build a road along this route. I think if Telford had been consulted about it he would probably have realised what the problems were and would have advised against it."

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Snake Pass often closes in winter due to ice and snow, making it too dangerous to drive along. Ms Cupit said the problems seemed to be getting worse due to more extreme weather conditions and the other issue with the road is landslips, which are a problem across Derbyshire.

"We haven't got the resources to be able to carry out the repair, because that's many millions of pounds, and that would take it off the wider highways budget that we currently get," said Cupit.