Date published: 2024-10-08 | Category: Bath, Delivering for local residents, Leisure , Roads, travel and transport
Works to resolve flooding in the Devonshire Tunnel on the Two Tunnels cycle route in Bath have begun this week.
Bath & North East Somerset Council is installing a pump at the entrance to the tunnel on behalf of Sustrans, which owns and manages the Two Tunnels route.
The pump will divert flood water uphill and bypass the original Victorian cast iron pipework that is no longer fit for purpose to drain the water.
The works are expected to take eight weeks to complete. It is hoped that the tunnel will remain fully open until November 3 for the first part of the works, however from November 4 the tunnel will be closed while the works are safely completed.
Signage will be placed at both ends of the tunnel throughout the works to inform people about the closures and timescales.
The Two Tunnels Greenway is managed by Sustrans and maintained by Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Councillor Paul Roper, cabinet member for Economic and Cultural Sustainable Development, said: “The original Victorian drainage in the Devonshire Tunnel has not been able to withstand the increasingly severe rainfall we have experienced in recent years. These essential works to install a pump will future-proof the route and ensure that it can remain open throughout future weather events. This is an important route for both commuting and pleasure and we apologise for the inconvenience while the works are carried out, however this is a long-term fix that needs to be done.”
Enquiries about the works can be made by contacting Council Connect on telephone 01225 39 40 41 or email council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk
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