Hannington Wick Road
Update 1 December 2025:
Following the successful installation of all five culverts in October, the surrounding land has now been fully reinstated and the carriageway rebuilt (pictured below). Our only remaining task is to remove the temporary haul road from the adjoining field. We remain on track to complete this scheme on Friday 12 December.
Please note: Hannington Wick Road is being resurfaced by our Structural Maintenance Team from 15 - 20 December. The road will therefore remain closed beyond 12 December.
We would like to thank the local community for their ongoing patience throughout this lengthy repair. Please contact highwaysinfrastructure@gloucestershire.gov.uk if you have any questions and we'll get back to you ASAP.
Previous updates
Update: 9 October 2025
26 August 2025
Our repairs to Hannington Wick Road, Kempsford are progressing well. This is a major project involving the full excavation and replacement of five damaged culverts.
Since construction began on 28 July, three culverts have been fully excavated (see photo), with the remaining two culverts due to be removed shortly. The excavation process has produced a large quantity of cotswold stone, which has been salvaged and taken to Andoversford. This is high-quality cotswold stone, which can be used on future repairs elsewhere in the county.
The empty culvert sites will now receive a concrete blinding layer and mesh foundations, with new pre-cast culverts being lifted into place in September. We are currently working one week ahead of schedule, with work now expected to finish in November.
Unfortunately, the road must remain closed until all five culverts have been installed. We are also unable to offer either pedestrian or cycle access at this time. As you can see from the image below, there is currently no physical road space available.
This repair is being managed by the Highways Infrastructure Team, who can be contacted on highwaysinfrastructure@gloucestershire.gov.uk . We would like to thank the local community for their ongoing patience.
Update: 25 July 2025
Our current expected work schedule is as follows:
28 July – 15 August: Installation of temporary haul road.
18 August – 8 September: Removal of existing culverts and installation of blinding layer.
9 September – 19 September: Concrete pouring and laying of mesh foundations.
22 September – 26 September: Lifting each pre-cast culvert into place.
29 September – 3 October: Installing the culvert joints.
6 October – 24 October: Building and installing the walls for each culvert.
27 October – 14 November: Installing the handrails and edgings above each culvert.
17 November – 21 November: Laying the surface course above each culvert
24 November – 5 December: Demobilising the site and removing the temporary haul road.
Please note these are planned dates and could be subject to change.
We would like to thank the local community for their continuing patience. If anyone has any questions, please contact highwaysinfrastructure@gloucestershire.gov.uk.
Update: 27 June
We are pleased to confirm that the large gas main has now been successfully relocated. We would like to thank both Wales and West Utilities and the private landowner for their assistance. Gloucestershire County Council now have full access to the damaged culverts on Hannington Wick Road.
Our repairs to the culverts will commence on Monday 30 June as planned. This repair will take approximately 18 weeks, an extension to the previously advertised duration.
We are aware of the upcoming Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) event at RAF Fairford in July. We can confirm that between 7 July – 25 July, there will be no construction activity or GCC equipment on Hannington Wick Road. The road will be fully accessible to RIAT for the installation of ramps and bridges. Our activities during this period will be confined to the adjoining field.
Update: 2 June 2025
We are pleased to confirm that work to relocate the large gas main has now begun on site. Wales and West Utilities are expected to complete their relocation work later this month. Gloucestershire County Council will then have full access to the damaged culverts beneath the road.
As previously mentioned, some vegetation clearance is required before we can repair our culverts. Vegetation clearance has therefore been scheduled for 30 June – 4 July. All vegetation clearance will be completed under the supervision of an ecologist. This is necessary to prevent any harm to nesting birds or other protected species.
Following the vegetation clearance, our culvert repairs are expected to take place from 28 July – 26 September, a period of nine weeks. This short delay is to avoid clashing with a large nearby event – the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) 2025 – which is scheduled for mid-July 2025.
We would like to thank the local community for their ongoing patience. If you have any questions, please contact highwaysinfrastructure@gloucestershire.gov.uk . We will respond to all enquiries as soon as possible.
Update: September 2024
Gloucestershire County Council Highways are in regular contact with Wales and West Utilities regarding the necessary relocation of the gas main, which is required before any repairs can begin on the culverts. We have agreed a plan with Wales and West Utilities that will enable the best way forward - to relocate their pipe from our carriageway to an agreed alternative locality.
A legal process needs to be undertaken to allow an easement between third parties and Wales & West Utilities before the gas main relocation works can commence. Gloucestershire County Council is fully supporting this process, however, we have no involvement in the legal procedures required. We understand that the easement process is still being worked through and we are hopeful this will be completed very soon.
In the meantime, Gloucestershire County Council Highways have undertaken the preliminary work required to enable the works to proceed as a priority, for example:
- A badger survey was completed, which showed no badger setts in proximity of the site.
- Detailed ground investigation has been completed including soil samples and laboratory testing. This information has assisted us in determining how we repair the culverts as soon as we are able to.
Once our culverts have been repaired, Hannington Wick Road can safely reopen to traffic.
What has happened?
Due to serious erosion of the bank and instability of the culverts supporting the road, the Hannington Wick Road remains closed to all traffic. The edge of the carriageway is not sufficiently supported due to this collapse, and it is not safe for vehicles to use the road. As there is a main gas pipe embedded in the highway verge, Gloucestershire County Council cannot undertake the necessary works on the road without input from utility provider Wales and West and the pipe made safe. It is our assessment that we are not able to open this road up to traffic until the repairs have been completed in their entirety.
The council will also need to complete a topographical survey as part of the development of the design, and the vegetation will need to be cleared from the area in order for this to be done. Once established this will allow our engineers to finalise their plans for rebuilding the highway. We are currently reviewing options with Wales and West as to where best to relay the pipe as part of the new design.
As part of our work to reinstate the road, we will dig out all the existing stone culverts through the road surface and replace them with precast concrete culverts, then rebuild the headwalls, parapets and railings. There will be stonework in the style of the existing bridge on the sides of the culverts to keep the new design in keeping with the current aesthetic. 