A646 Road Closure Update
Friday 10 January 2025
Calderdale Cllr Sarah Courtney has posted the following on social media: "Further complications during emergency repairs and recent extreme weather conditions have delayed the reopening of the A646 (Halifax Road).
"As a consequence the road will remain closed for the next two weeks so that Yorkshire Water can continue to work on site to repair the damaged sewer and culvert in this location.
"The team now plan to remove a section of culvert which will allow them to dig down to the sewer and lay a new pipe. This will be followed by backfilling and repairing the culvert before the road can be reinstated. The culvert will then be relined in the near future, but this will be done under two-way traffic management.
In a joint statement, Calderdale Council and Yorkshire Water said, "It is paramount that we keep residents, the local community and the team working on site, safe as this important repair takes place.
"The team is working extended hours, in very difficult weather conditions, with extreme cold and melting snow adding to delays in completing what is a complicated issue.
"We know that this is frustrating and inconvenient for all concerned, we can only apologise and thank local residents and businesses for their understanding as we work as quickly and as safely as we can to get a partial road reopening under 2-way managed traffic lights from Monday 27 January.
"Our priorities remain getting the road reopened and maintaining customers' waste services. Overpumping is taking place to remove clean surface water from the culvert to the river. There is also overpumping and tankering to manage the flows on the sewer, returning waste to the sewer. The customer liaison team at Yorkshire Water is keeping in close contact with residents and businesses in the affected area to keep them up to date.
"The shuttle bus will remain in place until the road has partially reopened. In view of the ongoing extreme weather and poor driving conditions, we would advise commuters to consider their route before travelling and plan ahead and all efforts will be taken to keep the designated diversion clear and safe during the ongoing snow and icy weather.
"Calderdale Council is advising people to follow the signed routes to avoid additional problems for local communities, as the rural, narrow roads are not suitable for heavy volumes of traffic. We are also liaising with blue light services to ensure a route remains clear for emergency response vehicles."