A36 at Limpley Stoke reopens after embankment stabilisation works

The A36 at Limpley Stoke has reopened to traffic in both directions following the completion of major stabilisation work.

National Highways confirmed that the final stage of the £7.5M scheme to repair the failing road embankment took place between 26-29 June, with four overnight closures to carry out resurfacing and lining.

The A36 southbound lane at Limpley Stoke was originally closed for 18 months following signs of serious embankment instability, first detected during a routine inspection in October 2021.

Full works began in summer 2024 with a complete closure of the road and have included the installation of a 208-pile bored retaining wall, rock slope stabilisation and upgrades to the drainage system.

The narrow, strategically important stretch of A-road sits between Bath and Warminster and has long been prone to landslides and rockfalls.

The A36 at Limpley Stoke village suffers from chronic instability due to “various geological mechanisms”, WSP associate engineer and lead designer for the scheme, Rob Benson, said earlier this year.

“These include shallow progressive slips and deeper-seated failures in the clay horizons of the Fuller’s Earth and Charmouth Mudstone Formations following rapid down cutting by the River Avon at the end of the last glaciation,” he added.