Temporary slip roads will not be put in place at Tebay when work begins in two years’ time to replace eight deteriorating M6 motorway bridges.
The bridges, which are between Junctions 37 and 38, were built in the 1960s and 1970s, a meeting of Westmorland and Furness Council’s Eden locality board was told.
As a result of the Lune Gorge bridge project, the A685 would have to be closed for about six months — down from an initial estimate of 90 weeks.
John Murray (Lib Dem, Kirkby Stephen and Tebay) said: “Locally, there are lots and lots of concerns about Tebay being cut off like an island from the rest of the world,” as a result of the work that has to be carried out.
Concern was also raised by Adrian Waite (Lib Dem, Kirkby Stephen and Tebay) that the work would cause “significant disruption” for the people of Tebay and noted that this could lead to a cost for businesses and residents in the area.
Both councillors also asked about the possibility of creating temporary slip roads in the Tebay area to keep Junction 38 open in both directions as far as possible.
They were told that a wide range of options had been looked at, including temporary slip roads, but that these were not practical or feasible at Tebay due to the design of the junction.
Khalid El-Rayes, senior project manager for National Highways, said while it had been recognised that the work would cause some delays, measures would be taken to widely publicise any restriction on the M6 to raise awareness for drivers in advance.
Two “meet the team” events are to be held in Tebay later this month, to share more information about the M6 Lune Gorge scheme.
“This will give you the opportunity to understand why it’s important we do this work now, what’s involved and to share your thoughts,” said a spokesman.
The events will take place at Tebay Sports Social and Railway Club on Wednesday, 21st May, from 2pm to 7pm and 22nd May, from noon to 5pm.
Information will also be provided about a social value fund to which local communities can apply for funding of up to £10,000 for projects. At present, work is being undertaken to design the project and create a traffic management plan to minimise closures and disruption caused by the work.
