Cabinet to consider appointment of contractor to rebuild the B4069 Lyneham Banks
At its meeting on Tuesday 16 April, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet will look to approve the award of the contract to rebuild the B4069 Lyneham Banks.
At its meeting on Tuesday 16 April, Wiltshire Council's Cabinet will look to approve the award of the contract to rebuild the B4069 Lyneham Banks.
The B4069 at Lyneham Banks has been closed since February 2022, when a major landslip broke up the road, moving it 25 metres downhill. Since then, the council has been working hard to establish the cause of the landslip and assess the best way to rebuild the road and prevent the landslip reoccurring.
The process began with months of careful assessment and detailed ground investigations, including drilling 31 boreholes and 21 trial pits, as well as extensive sampling and monitoring of water levels and ground movement to establish the cause and extent of the landslip.
Analysis revealed that the landslip was probably triggered by a combination of factors, including historic weaknesses, increased groundwater flows, and additional loading due to nearby development.
To rebuild the road and prevent the slip from happening again, the council considered several options and concluded that the best way forward would be the construction of a retaining wall using bored piles and ground anchors, coupled with drainage systems to manage groundwater flows. At its meeting, Cabinet will decide which contractor to provisionally award the contract to, subject to the standard council procurement process and a ten-day cooling-off period.
Cllr Nick Holder, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: We know that this landslide and road closure has had a significant impact on the local community, and we are committed to repairing it as quickly as we can.
However, it's also essential that we get this right, both to prevent another potential landslip and also to ensure the repairs are completed within budget and in a way that is as environmentally friendly as possible.
Fixing this road is a huge and unique challenge that we have not experienced in Wiltshire before. Once a contractor has been confirmed, and subject to planning permission, we expect work to start on the road this summer before completion in spring 2025.
The scheme is expected to cost around £5m.
To find out more about the B4069 Lyneham Banks project, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/highways-b4069-lyneham-banks
To read the Cabinet papers, people should go to: Agenda - Democratic Services - Wiltshire Council (opens new window)