Preliminary work has begun to repair a busy Wiltshire road destroyed in a landslip.
Gareth Hudson, the site manager for Wiltshire Council’s contractor Octavius Infrastructure, confirmed initial works have been carried out at the B4069 Lyneham Banks, ahead of full construction.
The important route previously saw 5,500 vehicles a day but has been closed for over two years after a major landslip dislodged around 90 metres of the carriageway.
In June, Wiltshire Council’s planning application to reinstate a 140-metre section of the carriageway, along with associated engineering works, was approved.
READ MORE: B4069 Lyneham Banks rebuilding due to start this summer
Octavius has since been appointed to undertake a significant part of these works.
Mr Hudson said: “We started the vegetation clearance last Monday (July 8).
“It is a different scenario for a landslip but, in essence, if the weather holds and we don’t find anything under the ground we should be ok.
“There’s always challenges with the weather because excavating when it’s muddy is never good.”
During the construction phase of the project, Octavius will excavate where the road has collapsed and reinstate the carriageway via several steps.
To the north and south of the road, slipped land will be regraded and drainage will be installed to prevent further incidents.
It is hoped this process will end by next spring, but this will be weather dependent.
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