Macclesfield to Whaley Bridge road – latest

Cheshire East Council says work to repair the B5470 Macclesfield to Whaley Bridge road could take several months.

The embankment collapsed taking the road with it in January and most locals have predicted the wait could be much longer.

The council says the work is scheduled to be completed by the end of June. However, as traffic lights were in situ for a couple of years, prior to the road’s collapse – and locals report they’ve seen no activity whatsoever – we’d suggest you don’t make plans to use the road for at least twelve months.

The council claimed the ‘temporary’ lights were there for safety while the council investigated the site.

The site is between Blaze Hill and Bakestonedale Road – closed to all vehicles. Currently the B5470 between Macclesfield and Whaley Bridge is completely closed to HGV traffic.

The Robin Hood Inn, in Rainow, has claimed that the signage failed to make it clear where the closure was – thus putting customers off – even though the pub is located well ahead of the collapse.

The council blamed heavy rain for the incident and said ‘engineers are working to develop a safe and effective long-term solution’ –describing the situation as complex.

A council spokesman said: “We appreciate that the closure causes significant detours for regular users of the road, and we apologise for this inconvenience.”