A road between Cowbit and Crowland could move closer to reopening after Lincolnshire County Council officials said they were finalising options for dealing with subsidence at the site.
Barrier Bank/Crowland Road has been closed since last summer. The closure was discussed at Lincolnshire County Council’s Highways Scrutiny committee on Monday, September 14, where officials said proposals were being prepared for presentation in November.
Why the road remains closed
Jonathan Evans, the council’s head of highways, told the committee that the authority had formally closed the route because the problem could not be addressed through its normal measures without affecting other schemes or creating extra costs for the council.
“It’s a site we had to close formally as we couldn’t within our normal measures react to and reopen without triggering a delay to a number of other schemes or incurring additional cost to this council. We’ll present some options on how we’ll address that problem and reopen that road.”
That means the immediate next step is not a confirmed reopening date, but a set of possible approaches for dealing with the subsidence and restoring the road.
November proposals and possible spring delay
The issue was raised by Councillor Thomas Sneath, who said the road had not been forgotten. The discussion also highlighted the effect of the approaching winter on the timetable.
“You’re still monitoring, which is why nothing has happened and, because of the winter, it may take until next spring before we know what’s going on,”
The comment indicates that monitoring remains part of the process while the council assesses what is happening at the site. Even if options are tabled in November, the condition of the road over winter could mean that the authority does not know the next stage until spring.
For people using the route between Cowbit and Crowland, the latest update therefore provides progress on the council’s planning but does not yet confirm when Barrier Bank/Crowland Road will reopen. The road remains closed while officials work on proposals and continue monitoring the situation.
The council’s options are expected to set out how it intends to address the subsidence and reopen the road. Further detail, including the preferred approach and any timetable, is due when the proposals are presented.