Cumbria County Council says local people shouldn't be too concerned about road closure signs, stating flood-hit routes could be shut for up to 18 months.
After numerous enquiries, they're clarifying that 18 months is the worst-case scenario - and the roads will all re-open as soon as repair work is finished.
A spokesperson said it's important to understand that these are standard legal notices, and don't provide a guide to how long the road will actually be closed for.
A statement continued: "It is standard practice when the council makes a legal order to close a road, that the order has effect for 18 months. This allows us to work on the road, open it, and if subsequent issues are discovered, re-close it without getting a new road closure order.
"We are working to open all roads as quickly as possible and do not anticipate roads being closed for 18 months."