A closed-off road skirting Thirlmere is putting lives at risk, it has been claimed.
The U7003 western road, which runs for around five miles along the west side of the lake, provides walkers and cyclists with a scenic alternative to the busy A591 between Keswick and Grasmere on the other side.
But following damage caused by Storm Arwen last November, the road was closed to all traffic while owners United Utilities worked to clear fallen trees and debris.
Seven months later a two-mile section is still shut, however – leaving pedestrians and cyclists no alternative but to use the A591.
They include retired accountant Mark Hatton, who regularly used the western road to cycle between Keswick and his home in Ambleside.
“It’s a nightmare, and worse than that it’s an accident waiting to happen,” he said. “Anyone who has ever walked or cycled along the A591 knows how dangerous it is.
“Not only do you have cars and lorries racing past, but because the road is hemmed in by walls there’s literally nowhere to go.”
The section of road which has been closed passes under a rocky outcrop called Rough Crag. According to United Utilities, loose rocks on the crag continue to present a danger to the public.
But Mark believes the company has had more than enough time to make the area safe.
“It would take a specialist contractor a matter of days to clear any dangerous loose material,” he said.
“Or the fitting of wire nets to prevent rock falls could also be done in a few weeks. Instead we are left to believe that it needs to take seven months to get to the stage we are currently at and goodness knows how many more to reopen the road.
“If I had the choice between riding beneath Rough Crag or sharing a narrow carriageway with HGVs, buses and cars, then I would pick Rough Crag every time.”
A spokesman for United Utilities said: “There is still a section of the road in the middle that we’re unable to reopen for any access. This section has suffered severe damage to a rock face, known locally as Rough Crag.
“A number of mature trees growing from the crag have been blown loose during the storms with the root plates lifting and dislodging the rock face behind. Some material has fallen down the face and onto the road, but a significant amount of loose material is still suspended directly above the road that presents a major risk to the public.”
According to Cumbria County Council, which has overall control of the county’s highways, the road won’t be opened until United Utilities is assured the risk of unstable trees and rocks falling onto the highway has gone.
A spokesman said: “Any fallen trees that are currently in the closed section of road are there to prevent access through.
“The actual main issue is unstable trees high up on the crag that may fall. United Utilities have the difficulty accessing these trees in a safe manner to establish what work can be carried out and how.”
