The Transport Secretary has confirmed today that the A591 will reopen one week ahead of schedule.
It had been thought that the road would open on the 21st May, but Patrick McLoughlin says it will be sooner, on the 13th.
He's made the announcement during a visit to Cumbria today, where he's been taking a look at the ongoing repair work after December's floods.
The new opening date means holidaymakers travelling to Cumbria for the spring bank holiday and the school half-term break would be able to travel along the entire stretch of the A591 between Grasmere and Keswick. Work to reopen the road is being carried out by Highways England and Kier on behalf of Cumbria County Council.
Mr McLoughlin said: “The A591 is vital to Cumbria’s economy, providing an essential link for residents, businesses and tourists, so it is great news that Highways England expects to reopen the route earlier than planned.
“We know that the winter storms had a devastating effect on many people in Cumbria and across the north. That is why we have invested more than £117 million – including an extra £83 million in last month’s Budget – to ensure the region gets back on its feet as quickly as possible.”
The Transport Secretary was joined by Highways England Chief Executive Jim O’Sullivan and Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, to see how work was progressing on the A591.
Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, said: “We’re acutely aware how important this road is to local people and tourism businesses. When we started the repairs in February we promised we’d be working to reopen the road as quickly as possible and with some great progress in the last few weeks we’re looking to do that by the middle of May rather than at the end of the month - which should be great news for visitors and businesses planning for the late spring bank holiday.”
Keith Little, Cabinet Member for Cumbria County Council said: “We are delighted that Patrick has made time in his busy schedule to show his support for the affected businesses and communities of Cumbria but more importantly his visit brings with him the excellent news that the A591 will re-open even sooner than expected. Everyone involved with the repair deserves our thanks as they have worked tirelessly to reopen this road, a road which is a vital connection for communities, businesses and tourists alike.”
But South Lakes MP Tim Farron has described the Transport Secretary’s announcement today that the A591 will reopen in mid-May as “not good enough for South Lakeland”, pointing out that the continued closure of the road is costing local businesses half a million pounds per day.
He said: “It is good news that the road will reopen slightly ahead of schedule – I have long been pressing for this to happen.
“However, during the time that the minister has been up in the Lake District today, the local economy will have lost half a million pounds due to the road being closed. It is local businesses that are bearing the brunt of the government’s refusal to stump up the resources needed to get this road reopened sooner.
“The minister wants to pretend that bringing the date marginally forward is a big win, but the reality is that it is due to this Conservative government’s lack of commitment to getting the road reopened that it has taken this long at all.
“As the government showed a few years ago when the railway line was washed away in Dawlish, if the government is willing to make repairs a priority it can get the job done quickly. The government had a team of 300 working around the clock with a budget of £35m, and got it fixed in just over 50 days. Up here, four months have already passed, and now the government is trying to portray this slight change of date as a success.”