Number of roads closed in Whittlesey due to flooding as Cambridgeshire County Council apologises to commuters

A number of road closures impacting a town have been explained as a county council has apologised for the inconvenience.

“Safety reasons” were given for the road closures in Whittlesey to protect drivers from flooding events and surface issues that Cambridgeshire County Council is working to resolve.

There are three emergency road or lane closures currently in place.

The westbound carriageway, heading to Peterborough, on the Ralph Butcher Causeway at King’s Dyke, continues to have one lane temporarily closed while the county council assesses and develops solutions to cracks that have appeared.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “We’re working hard to minimise the disruption and apologise for the frustrations caused. We are continuing to monitor the impact on traffic and manage the flows as best as possible.

“We’re using two-way traffic lights whilst the lane closure remains in place as we fully investigate the cause of the cracking and what repair work is needed. Until we have undertaken the necessary repair work, the lane closure will remain in place.”

Alongside the emergency closure of the Ralph Butcher Causeway, a lane closure was in place in Whittlesey at East Delph (B1040) due to erosion, which has subsequently been subject to a full closure due to flooding.

The Environment Agency has said that the levels are dropping and, after the carriageway has been swept, the gates may be open today or tomorrow, subject to the water levels.

Once open, there will still be a lane closure in place. The council will be carrying out “substantial” structural repairs which they are working with the contractor to programme as “quickly as possible”.

The spokesperson added: “There is also an emergency lane closure on Benwick Road due to subsidence and its cracked and rutted condition – this is one of our soil-affected roads.

“Programmed works will start on this road in late November. This will require a full road closure and involve full reconstruction and resurfacing of the road. Works will conclude at the end of January after which point the road can safely open.

“We understand people’s frustrations, but these closures are in place for safety reasons and would urge drivers not to ignore the warning signs.

“We are continuing to work with our contractors on accelerating the repair work needed as quickly as possible and they are also manually operating the traffic lights at King’s Dyke and Benwick Road, so we can keep traffic moving where possible during peak hours.