DELAYED work on an unstable rock face above a main route through the Wye Valley between Chepstow and Tintern has resumed.
On Friday, April 30, it was confirmed that all the requirements of the European Protected Species (EPS) regulations had been met and the road closure of the A466 at Wyndcliff would start on Tuesday, May 4 to enable vital safety works to commence on the rockface on the A466.
The work was not able to resume until conditions were met as set out in the EPS licence, which protects the bat colony at the site.
A466 closure diversion route. Picture: Monmouthshire County Council
The A466 Wyndcliffe site had already been set up and work is ready to commence.
However, the licence required seven consecutive nights with temperatures at or exceeding eight degrees to allow hibernating bats to leave their roosts.
Monitoring stations were inspected regularly and work will commence as soon as possible now that the terms of the licence have been met.
The council previously said that it was “currently anticipated that the works should be able to start on Tuesday, May 4, with the road closure commencing on that day”.
The council is also working with Welsh Water to bring forward a one-day road closure on Bargain Wood Road, to minimise any potential conflict.
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Updates on all the roadworks will be issued should any of the dates change.
Monmouthshire County Council officers are holding frequent meetings with the ecologist and contractors on the project to discuss the situation and revise the timetable.
The collapsed rock face and cave system above have been confirmed as providing important bat species a roosting site to hibernate throughout the winter.
Throughout the road closure period - now expected to be a four-week period from May 4 - a full diversion will be in place allowing traffic to travel between Chepstow and Tintern.
Drivers are asked to follow the diversion signs and not rely on satnav, as many of the local lanes are very narrow with limited opportunities for vehicles to pass.
Cyclists will still be able to use the A466 during the closure.
For the latest information, visit monmouthshire.gov.uk/a466
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