You may be pleased to know that the A591 in Cumbria was reopened yesterday (11 May) by Environment Minister Rory Stewart.  This ensures that the Lake District is open for business this summer, after the road suffered extensive storm damage last winter.

Highways England worked with Cumbria County Council on the project to repair a four-mile stretch of the A591, which links Grasmere to Keswick.

The project has been completed almost three weeks ahead of schedule allowing holidaymakers to use the road during the spring Bank Holiday and May half term.

Construction teams worked seven days a week to repair the road.  A new 106 metre retaining wall has been constructed at Dunmail Raise, where part of the A591 was washed away in the storms, and repairs have been carried out on three bridges, seven other retaining walls and 91 drains alongside Thirlmere reservoir.

A total of 44,000 square metres of the road has been resurfaced – equivalent to the area of six football pitches – and rock netting has been fitted along a 90 metre stretch of the A591 to prevent rocks falling onto the road.

The first vehicle to travel along the repaired road was a minibus of schoolchildren from Grasmere Primary School.  They were followed by vintage cars from Lakeland Motor Museum.

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