THE A390 at Newbridge Hill, Gunnislake will be closed during the hours of 7pm and 6am ONLY during two weeks in June for rock stabilisation work to take place at the site of a collapsed wall, it has been confirmed.

The road will not be closed during daytime hours, county councillor for Gunnislake Dorothy Kirk confirmed to the Times this morning.

The site of the collapsed wall has been supported by concrete blocks since last summer and a single carriageway section has been in place with priority signing.

The repair work is due to start the week commencing April 22, five days before Newbridge, a main route connecting Cornwall and Devon over the River Tamar, is reopened to traffic following damage caused by a collision on the bridge on April 2.

Cormac said that it would be building the scaffolding within the existing lane closure and traffic management on the hill. The following week the drilling rig would be mobilised to site and they would begin drilling in to the slope. This could be a noisy process, however, the majority of the work would be carried out during the daytime and every effort would be made to keep disturbance to a minimum.

Next, rows of soil nails (up to ten metres in length) would be installed in to the slope and cement-grouted in place.

Commencing Monday June 3, the road will be closed for up to two weeks during the hours of 7pm and 6am so that the concrete blocks can be removed and the bottom row of soil nails installed.

Following this and with the road reopened under priority lane traffic management, stabilising, geotechnical, mesh and netting would be fixed and bolted in place with flat, metal plates. Finally the retaining wall itself would be reconstructed and landscaping done, before the site was demobilised at around the end of July.

‘The programme and method of work have been designed around keeping the road open as much as possible,’ said Cormac. ‘However, for the plant and equipment needed, this is a small operating space. If any safety concerns arise, or if delivery of materials require it, then temporary closures will need to be put in place. Please be assured that this will be avoided as much as possible, but the safety of our workforce and the general public is of greatest importance.

‘Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience you may experience. We understand that this may cause disruption to those living in the vicinity and appreciate your patience and understanding whilst we carry out this essential work. If you have any queries or concerns, or would like to speak to someone about this, please call 0300 1234 222, email us at [email protected] or visit www.roadworks.org