Danger warning at Forty Foot

MOTORISTS are continuing to drive along a dangerous section of road which was closed to traffic last week after a bank collapsed, taking part of the road with it. The Forty Foot Bank road, which links Ramsey Forty Foot and Chatteris, was officially closed

MOTORISTS are continuing to drive along a dangerous section of road which was closed to traffic last week after a bank collapsed, taking part of the road with it.

The Forty Foot Bank road, which links Ramsey Forty Foot and Chatteris, was officially closed on Thursday - although the bank had started to slide a week earlier.

But, despite part of the road slipping into the drain, some motorists still risk using the road, ignoring the signs and the potential danger.

Cambridgeshire County Council is concerned further damage could be caused to the road by heavy traffic and has warned drivers they are breaking the law by using the Forty Foot Bank road.

A CCC spokesman said: "We would like to remind people that ignoring road closed signs is an offence. It is closed except for access to properties.

"If people keep driving down there, especially in heavy vehicles, it will make the situation worse.

"This is going to take months rather than weeks to repair."

The road is closed from its junction at Leonard Childs Bridge to where it meets Ibberson's Drove. The collapsed section is just east of Puddock Bridge.

The bank started to slide before the heavy rains increased the damage, according to CCC.

The spokesman said it was not unusual for banks on Fen roads to collapse from time to time and the heavy rain had made the situation worse.

However, he said the collapse was not caused by the floods witnessed across Huntingdonshire over the past week.

CCC said contractors were being consulted about repair work to the road.

Mark Kemp, director of highways and access for CCC, added: "We are working hard to investigate how this happened and to get the bank repaired as soon as possible and open to traffic but we expect this could take weeks or months.

"This really illustrates just how unstable some of these drain banks can be and therefore how difficult it can be to put physical measures, such as barriers, along them.

"We will be looking at all options, including temporary works, so that maybe one lane can be re-opened using traffic lights, until a more permanent solution can be finished.

"Due to the nature of the area the diversion route is quite long and we ask motorists to take extra care as they drive this route."

Six people have died over the past 18 months on the Forty Foot Bank road when cars left the road and plunged into the Forty Foot Drain.

* A diversion route has been set up: Forty Foot Bank road is closed at east end at junction with C307 Leonard Childs Bridge (Chatteris to Doddington road) and traffic is diverted along C307 to

Doddington/B1093 to Benwick/ B1096/C84 Ibbersons Drove.