Ironbridge Gorge road opens eight months after landslide
One of the main routes into Telford's World Heritage Site today re-opened to the public – nine months after it was closed following a landslide.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Jiggers Bank to celebrate the end of £400,000 work to stabilise the rockface. The road, a major route into Ironbridge and Coalbrookdale, has been closed since a landslide in November, caused by the freezing winter temeprature.
Contractors have since shifted 20,000 tonnes of rubble to make the area safe. Other work carried out has included regrading the rockface, earthworks, treatment of mine workings and coal seams, drainage and installing a catch fence, netting and anchors. Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council's cabinet member with responsibility for land stability in the
Ironbridge Gorge, said: "It's a massive scheme and I hope when people drive past they will see how much work has been done and why it has taken nine months.
"We are keen to ensure that members of the public are fully aware of the scale and complexity of the works which have been undertaken and of the efforts that have been made to re-open the road as quickly as possible.
Project manager Neal Rushton said: "In November we had approximately 40 tonnes of rock fall overnight. After an investigation and design our workers moved 20,000 tonnes of mixed rubble, rock and debris to make it stable.
"It has been a quick turn around for a project of this scale and we are pleased with it. It certainly has the wow factor now."
Councillor David Davies, Telford & Wrekin councillor for Gorge, said: "The re-opening of Jiggers Bank will be welcomed by the local community as it will allow quicker access into Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge. The local residents have been patient throughout the work to Jiggers Bank and I want to thank them for this."
