Temporary bicycle connection created in Lake District after main road detroyed in floods

A temporary pedestrian and bicycle connection will be created at Dunmail Raise in the Lake district over the Christmas period, after flooding has ruined the A591.

The road, which connects the northern and southern Lake District, is now impassable, and traffic is routed around a minor road around the western shore of the reservoir.

Once the foot and cycle pass has been established, it will connect with a shuttle bus service on the Thirlmere side to and from Keswick. Initially this will only be for school pupils currently cut off from their normal school. The council is aiming to have this up and running for the start of term in January.

Later on, it will also be used by other shuttle buses as a park and ride option.

As it is narrow and hemmed in by rocks and walls, it will not be open to general traffic.

The pressure is on to reopen the A591, which handles 5,000-7,000 vehicles a day.

There is a significant rebuild of the collapsed section of road on Dunmail Raise to be undertaken, but the council is in discussions with government about how best to fund and manage the work required to reinstate the section of road alongside the reservoir.

The council told the Westmorland Gazette: “On this section of road the mountainside has effectively moved and is now unstable. The mountainside will first have to be stabilised before work can start on the carriageway to repair the fundamental structural damage.”

Stewart Young, Leader of Cumbria County Council, said: “The A591 is vital to Cumbria; livelihoods depend on it. All of us want to see the full road reopened as quickly as possible but the view from local and national experts is that this is a complicated task that is going to take time.

"That’s why this temporary connection is so important. It will allow school children, local workers, residents and tourists to move comparatively easily between the north and south Lake District and we know the difference this will make.

"If I could I’d have the A591 open tomorrow, but that’s not the reality. Looking forward we are going to be working very closely with government on this and I can assure everyone that this work will be done as quickly as is possible.”