A LANDSLIP is set to cause a section of one of Copeland’s busiest roads to be closed for A YEAR , The Whitehaven News can reveal.

The major landslip has been identified on an embankment to left of the A595 (northbound) between the Lowca junction and the Howgate roundabout. Highways chiefs are now debating how to tackle the problem – and how to divert large volumes of traffic when it does.

The Whitehaven News understands that Highways England, the owners of the road, cannot advertise a diversion from a major road onto minor ones, leaving the only available alternative route available a 40-mile diversion via the A5086 through Egremont, Frizington, Lamplugh and Cockermouth.

One option being considered to alleviate the traffic chaos, therefore, is to build a new, temporary road from the Howgate roundabout to the Rosehill road to allow traffic to bypass the lengthy closure.

A temporary bridge to take motorists over the work has been ruled out due to the vibrations it would cause to the already unstable embankment.

It is also understood that highways chiefs hope that work – set to take a year – will be carried out before work on Moorside nuclear power plant begins, earmarked for 2020.

Highways England has organised a drop-in session in Lowca Village Hall on Thursday, April 7 (2pm to 6.30pm) to gauge opinion.

A Highways spokesman said: “The Victorian embankment on the A595 between Low Moresby roundabout and Lowca is reaching the end of its life and will need to be replaced

“Communities can learn about engineering work being considered by Highways England and Cumbria County Council, and help inform plans to minimise disruption while the work is taking place.

“The drop-in session will be an opportunity for local people to learn about the engineering task and to explore the issues around disruption, potential local diversion routes and other elements related to the work.”

The communities of Lowca and Low Moresby – both set to be affected by the work and the diverted traffic – have long campaigned about the roads through their villages being used as “rat-runs”.

The parish councils of Lowca and Moresby are urging residents to attend the drop-in – and put forward a case for other A595-related issues in the vicinity to be addressed while work is taking place.

Mike Milner, clerk of Lowca, said: “If the local residents go along, look at the proposals and put forward their views, then perhaps there could be a successful resolution to a small part of the local area traffic problem.”

And Kevin Young, chairman of Parton, added: “While we accept that there is bound to be disruption on the A595 during the roadworks, we believe that this is an opportunity which should not be missed to ensure that whatever changes are proposed to the course of the road it allows for safe exits from the three villages of Parton Lowca and Moresby.

“For too long, drivers wanting to join the main road in this area have had real problems with no let up in the stream of vehicles travelling both ways and needing to resort to risk taking.”