Road so badly damaged in storm it was used as skate park is to be repaired at last

A road so badly damaged it was used as a skate park is finally being repaired after more than two years. Around 100 metres of the B4069 near Lyneham, Wiltshire, was badly disfigured during storms in February 2022.

The damage was so significant it looked like the area had been hit by an earthquake - and skaters used it as a makeshift skatepark. The road has been closed for more than two years.

But Wiltshire Council announced on Friday that Octavius Infrastructure Limited has been awarded the repair contract. Work is due to start later this year.

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A spokesperson said: "Work on site is due to begin in summer 2024 and the council expects the road to reopen in spring 2025." Once the B4069 has reopened, the council will be undertaking repairs to the local road network, which has been subject to increased traffic during the closure of the road."

Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: "We're pleased to award the contract to rebuild the B4069 at Lyneham Banks to Octavius, after what has been a difficult time for the community As well as the build, in its tender, Octavius committed to providing various local social benefits, including a meet the contractor event, project newsletters and community litter picks."

"We are committed to having well-connected communities in our Business Plan, and this rebuild project will reopen this road once again, which will be a positive step forward for the local community."

The Cross Keys pub in Bradenstoke has reportedly suffered a significant loss in trade since the closure of the road. Councillor Caroline Thomas has previously stated that the repair work is a "major undertaking of significant scale" and cannot commence until the road ceases movement.

Should the application get the green light, the repair process might extend up to eight months. Lyneham's councillor, Alison Bucknall, commented: "It's important we get it right, and we want this to be fixed once. The plan is quite extensive and a huge amount of drainage work is planned in order to futureproof it."

"In fields either side, a herringbone of drainage will take water away. The replacement part of the road will be built on pillars, which is quite a major engineering project."

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