TECHNICAL problems have delayed completion of work shoring up a road used as a popular bypass of Durham city centre.
Cocken Road, overlooking Finchale Priory and the River Wear, may not now reopen until nearly Christmas, several weeks behind schedule. The extreme wet weather through autumn and winter last year led to a landslip of the embankment supporting the narrow winding road, which provides an alternative route connecting the A690 and the A167 dual carriageways.
Following the landslip in January, part of Cocken Bank on Cocken Road was coned off and traffic lights installed, restricting the flow of vehicles to single lane.
But, following extensive site investigation, repair work began in June, causing the complete closure of the road with long detours in place for traffic via Great Lumley and Chester-le-Street.
Durham County Council expected work to take up to 15 weeks, but given the testing topographical location, it has proved a difficult engineering exercise
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