Mysterious Ripped-Up Road In Wiltshire

[maximus otter]

The B4069 near Lyneham, Wilts has been severely damaged by as-yet unexplained forces. The section of the road has been so badly damaged that the tarmac is completely snapped or lying a 45-degree angle in some places.

Wiltshire Council say the road has been closed since February 17th, but some drivers still are still attempting to use it according to police.

The 'earthquake-like damage seems to have come from unexplained movements underground that will now be investigated.

Local residents claim the subsidence has been getting worse over the last year and a landslip was inevitable.

Wiltshire Council said it is now waiting for a report from geotechnical specialists before taking further action.

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "It could costs hundreds of thousands or up into the millions [to fix].

"There is significant damage to the road. It could be up to 12 months in total. It's not something that can be resolved in a matter of days or weeks."

Dr McClelland added in some places the road had 'buckled' up to four feet, and descriptions of it looking like an earthquake were accurate.

https://twnews.co.uk/uk-news/pictured-a-mysterious-ripped-up-road-in-wiltshire

maximus otter

 

[Frideswide]

I read the headline and was expecting potholes! Gordon Bennett!

Good find @maximus otter

 

[Paul_Exeter]

The B4069 near Lyneham, Wilts has been severely damaged by as-yet unexplained forces. The section of the road has been so badly damaged that the tarmac is completely snapped or lying a 45-degree angle in some places.

Wiltshire Council say the road has been closed since February 17th, but some drivers still are still attempting to use it according to police.

The 'earthquake-like damage seems to have come from unexplained movements underground that will now be investigated.

Local residents claim the subsidence has been getting worse over the last year and a landslip was inevitable.

Wiltshire Council said it is now waiting for a report from geotechnical specialists before taking further action.

Dr Mark McClelland, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for transport, told BBC Radio Wiltshire: "It could costs hundreds of thousands or up into the millions [to fix].

"There is significant damage to the road. It could be up to 12 months in total. It's not something that can be resolved in a matter of days or weeks."

Dr McClelland added in some places the road had 'buckled' up to four feet, and descriptions of it looking like an earthquake were accurate.

https://twnews.co.uk/uk-news/pictured-a-mysterious-ripped-up-road-in-wiltshire

maximus otter

This adds some more insight:

Geotechnical specialist Clive Edmonds told NCE that images of the damage - which show the road surface "heaved and then falling away in level" - suggest that "mass movement of the slope has been triggered probably by locally increased pore water pressure build-up in the slope profile leading to renewed landslide activity".

He added: "This sort of movement would account for the highly irregular switch-back look along the road alignment and cracking of the surface.”

Edmonds explained that the road “coincides geologically with an area where the Jurassic age Stanford Formation (limestone) appears to overlie/overstep the Hazelbury Bryan Formation (sandstone)”. Both of these are underlain by the Oxford Clay Formation.

"The road appears to run along and down the contact between the sandstone and limestone above the clay stratum going downhill away from Lyneham," he said.

https://www.newcivilengineer.com/la...iltshire-road-buckled-and-cracked-24-02-2022/

 

[Spookdaddy]

Although generally less dramatic, it reminds me of some sections of the Broken Road beside Mam Tor in Derbyshire. I think similar forces may have been involved, although much greater in the case of Mam Tor.

 

[Cochise]

Is Wiltshire the best county in England for a general feeling of the unexplained? If I could afford it I'd move there.

 

[Trevp666]

That's what some of the roads around here look like after they've resurfaced them.

 

[Trevp666]

If I could afford it I'd move there.

Swindon is in Wiltshire.
I don't think anyone wants to move there.

 

[Bad Bungle]

The damage was obviously caused by tree roots (at least it would be according to Camden Council if it happened near one of their pavements).

 

[Cochise]

Swindon is in Wiltshire.
I don't think anyone wants to move there.

Good speedway team. Anyway, pretty much every county has one of those. Essex has two - market leaders as always

 

[Kondoru]

Ive been down, (and up) that hill a lot.

The Geologist is right; prone to slips due to iffy geology and water.

Its been that way for decades...but, I think, never as bad.

No Mystery.

Wiltshire is not a mysterious county, otherwise I would have blogged on it.

 

[What Tyler]

....I live in Surrey...and would love to have roads in that good a condition...

 

[SimonBurchell]

Wiltshire is not a mysterious county, otherwise I would have blogged on it.

Actually, I find Wiltshire very mysterious, absolutely overflowing with ancient archaeology, megaliths, folklore, and general weirdness. One of my favourite counties to hike in (well it would be, if it weren't for the appalling state of the off-the-beaten-track footpaths).

 

[Floyd]

And Phil Harding lives there!

 

[IbisNibs]

Actually, I find Wiltshire very mysterious, absolutely overflowing with ancient archaeology, megaliths, folklore, and general weirdness.

This sounds like all of Britain if you ask me!

 

[SimonBurchell]

This sounds like all of Britain if you ask me!

True enough, but not much in the way of megaliths in Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire... On the other hand, even Woking has its weird, so I'm sure that Swindon does too...

 

[catseye]

I've always thought of Wiltshire as being a rather 'fey' sort of place too. North Yorkshire, now has absolutely no fey about it at all. We've got haunted York and Dracula's Whitby and that's about your lot.

 

[Eyespy]

I grew up in wiltshire and there are areas that are generally a bit "off", hard to explain but the landscape at times seemed sentient. I currently live on the edge of the Mendips- lovely place lots of "quaint and charming" scenery etc but not so much sense of place. However definitely , much higher sense of weirdness, but seems to be connected to people. In my head this paragraph makes sense.

 

[Junopsis]

I grew up in wiltshire and there are areas that are generally a bit "off", hard to explain but the landscape at times seemed sentient. I currently live on the edge of the Mendips- lovely place lots of "quaint and charming" scenery etc but not so much sense of place. However definitely , much higher sense of weirdness, but seems to be connected to people. In my head this paragraph makes sense.

Never been there so I wouldn't know if this is the same thing I'm thinking of, but some places sure do have an innate personality that seems to be wholly independent from the human presence there. Just.. a mood, but one that is a lot deeper and more uncaring than human-related vibes?

 

[Eyespy]

Parts pop Wiltshire- especially around salisbury plain do have a sense of indifference to humans which is rather hard to explain but you know when you feel it.

Whilst chunks of the Mendips are just odd, superficially pretty and charming but slightly off. They filmed "Hot Fuzz' around here and at one point we were "twinned with Atlantis" on several road signs as well as being home to Glastonbury and Wookey.

 

[maximus otter]

The photo seems to have vanished, so here’s one pinched from the Intermuppet:

maximus otter

 

[Mr. Banooka]

Although generally less dramatic, it reminds me of some sections of the Broken Road beside Mam Tor in Derbyshire. I think similar forces may have been involved, although much greater in the case of Mam Tor.

Seeing that takes me back. I remember back in the early eighties when I went on a trip to Blue John Cavern and Speedwell Cavern with primary school that the road over Man Tor was still open. Then going again later (possible the same year, but I can't be 100%) with Cubs and the coach having to go all the way around as the road was pretty much impassable.

 

[Floyd]

It's always suffered from subsidence judging by the roadsign;

 

[Trevp666]

I recently drove along a road near Leighton Buzzard which was beginning to go.
Leighton Road, which if you go to the streetview you can see has had multiple repairs to its sides - it was splitting along its length as though it was being pulled apart by the fields on either side.

 

[eburacum]

Reminds me of the landslip at Hatfield Colliery in 2013. The railway line next to it was slightly displaced.

 

[Floyd]

Work starts to repair Wiltshire's 'wonkiest road'​

Work is finally starting to repair a road that has been dubbed as England's wonkiest road

Lyneham Banks, on the B4069 in Wiltshire, has been closed since a landslip in February 2022, which broke up the road and moved it 25m (27 yards) downhill.

Contractors started clearing the site on Wednesday and work to install a retaining wall will get underway next week.
Wiltshire Council's Nick Holder said that he is pleased that work is finally starting and expects the repairs to take around nine months.

Contractors have started work to repair the road


There have been ongoing problems with the B4069 for at least two decades and in February 2022 a landslip took 90 metres of both sides of the carriageway 25m down the steep valley side.

Over the last two years, sections of the twisted, corkscrew remains of the road, have descended further.

The line of the road is now barely discernible amid the mounds of spoil from the landslip.

Nick Holder, who is in charge of overseeing the project, said that contractors are geared up to get the road open as soon as they can.

"They're going to be working six days a week - Monday to Saturday, 12 hours a day," said Mr Holder.
He explained that contractors have had to wait for the land to stop moving before work could commence.

Parts of the road have risen by six metres

Businesses affected by the two-year closure said they are relieved that work is finally getting under way.

Simon Manners is landlord of the Crosskeys at Bradenstoke whose business has been affected by the closure.

He said it has been tough for everyone in the village coping with the rat-running traffic and the long diversion around the collapsed road.
"We're just surviving," said Mr Manners, who feels hopeful now that the repairs have begun.

"It's very good news and we're all excited for the fact that we're going to get our road back which is good for the village."

Local businesses said they have been badly affected by the road closure

Michael Samphire runs Piggy's Cafe in Lyneham which is just a mile away from the road closure. He said with access from Chippenham so restricted, his business has really suffered.

"The footfall from customers is massively down," he said.

"The traffic on the road, you can sit out sometimes and it's quiet and Lyneham has never been like that. It's a massive impact on all the businesses in the area really."

Mr Samphire explained that he has been forced to use his savings to keep his busines afloat.
"People find it very difficult to get here and if they have got here, it's getting away again because the road has been closed," he said.
"We're all suffering and there's no help for us out there."

Challenging task​

There is a significant task ahead for the contractors.

Although it is thought downward movement on the hillside has now settled, the land will have to be stabilised, before the road can be rebuilt.

It is a challenging task as the pitch of the slope, both above and below the line of the road, is uneven, and in some places steep enough to make walking difficult.

Even finding a flat area large enough to accommodate the temporary site offices, has taken careful planning, and specialist construction techniques and equipment will be needed to complete the road repairs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgkp42056zo

 

[Frideswide]

Good to have an update - thank you @Floyd

 

[AnonyJ]

I grew up in wiltshire and there are areas that are generally a bit "off", hard to explain but the landscape at times seemed sentient. I currently live on the edge of the Mendips- lovely place lots of "quaint and charming" scenery etc but not so much sense of place. However definitely , much higher sense of weirdness, but seems to be connected to people. In my head this paragraph makes sense.

The area around the Plain and Amesbury definitely has a 'feeling' in my opinion!

I put it down to it being the longest continuously inhabited area in Britain - at least 10,000 years and counting - the hundreds and hundreds of generations of people to have been born, lived and died there before any recorded history have literally become part of that landscape.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-27238503
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-27238503

 

[cycleboy2]

Work starts to repair Wiltshire's 'wonkiest road'​

Work is finally starting to repair a road that has been dubbed as England's wonkiest road

Lyneham Banks, on the B4069 in Wiltshire, has been closed since a landslip in February 2022, which broke up the road and moved it 25m (27 yards) downhill.

Contractors started clearing the site on Wednesday and work to install a retaining wall will get underway next week.
Wiltshire Council's Nick Holder said that he is pleased that work is finally starting and expects the repairs to take around nine months.

Contractors have started work to repair the road


There have been ongoing problems with the B4069 for at least two decades and in February 2022 a landslip took 90 metres of both sides of the carriageway 25m down the steep valley side.

Over the last two years, sections of the twisted, corkscrew remains of the road, have descended further.

The line of the road is now barely discernible amid the mounds of spoil from the landslip.

Nick Holder, who is in charge of overseeing the project, said that contractors are geared up to get the road open as soon as they can.

"They're going to be working six days a week - Monday to Saturday, 12 hours a day," said Mr Holder.
He explained that contractors have had to wait for the land to stop moving before work could commence.

Parts of the road have risen by six metres

Businesses affected by the two-year closure said they are relieved that work is finally getting under way.

Simon Manners is landlord of the Crosskeys at Bradenstoke whose business has been affected by the closure.

He said it has been tough for everyone in the village coping with the rat-running traffic and the long diversion around the collapsed road.
"We're just surviving," said Mr Manners, who feels hopeful now that the repairs have begun.

"It's very good news and we're all excited for the fact that we're going to get our road back which is good for the village."

Local businesses said they have been badly affected by the road closure

Michael Samphire runs Piggy's Cafe in Lyneham which is just a mile away from the road closure. He said with access from Chippenham so restricted, his business has really suffered.

"The footfall from customers is massively down," he said.

"The traffic on the road, you can sit out sometimes and it's quiet and Lyneham has never been like that. It's a massive impact on all the businesses in the area really."

Mr Samphire explained that he has been forced to use his savings to keep his busines afloat.
"People find it very difficult to get here and if they have got here, it's getting away again because the road has been closed," he said.
"We're all suffering and there's no help for us out there."

Challenging task​

There is a significant task ahead for the contractors.

Although it is thought downward movement on the hillside has now settled, the land will have to be stabilised, before the road can be rebuilt.

It is a challenging task as the pitch of the slope, both above and below the line of the road, is uneven, and in some places steep enough to make walking difficult.

Even finding a flat area large enough to accommodate the temporary site offices, has taken careful planning, and specialist construction techniques and equipment will be needed to complete the road repairs.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crgkp42056zo

Nah, I cycle on worse than that every day.

Luxury!