Work is progressing on a “unique” project to rebuild a collapsed Wiltshire road left looking like a “disaster movie.”

Work to repair the B4069 Lyneham Banks, which has been closed since a major landslip buckled a section of the route in February 2022, began in July.

Since then, construction has been ongoing and the council says it remains on schedule to finish and reopen the road by spring next year, although an expected date has not yet been set.

In total the scheme is expected to cost around £5 million and Wiltshire Council leader Cllr Richard Clewer explained the unusual extent of the damage had contributed to the length of the repair process.

READ MORE: B4069 Lyneham Banks repairs begin ahead of major project

He said: “It looks like a scene from a disaster movie where there’s a bit of desolation, I’ve not seen anything like this in the 18 years I’ve been a councillor.

“The road has moved about 30 or 40 metres down the hill simply because the land has given way under it, it’s surreal.

“This has taken a long time to do because the road has been moving for so long, over many months it continued to slide so we couldn’t start work.”

Now the ground has stopped moving and work has begun to install 100 metres of 11-metre deep pilings which will be cross-hatched to support the hill and prevent further movement.

Excavation work is currently ongoing to allow this process to take shape before the carriageway is rebuilt and reinstated.

Contractor Octavius Infrastructure is expecting significant movement on the progress of the project over the next two weeks as piling ramps up.

Construction works at Lyneham BanksConstruction works at Lyneham Banks (Image: Newsquest)

“This is a big piece of structural engineering, albeit in a small place, and is a complex project”, added Cllr Clewer.

“That’s why it’s taken so long but it will be done by spring next year which will be great for residents, businesses, and the 5,500 cars that used to use this road every day.

“It’s difficult and it’s a lot of money but not replacing it wasn’t an option.”

The ongoing wait for the road to reopen, which will have reached three years by the time construction is completed, has led to anger amongst residents and nearby businesses impacted by the loss of the through road.

Chief executive Lucy Townsend said: “I know there has been some frustration and concerns around delay but unfortunately the road was continuing to move significantly.

“It feels like a long process but we’re on track and it’s really important we get it back open.”