Motorists face five-mile diversion as busy Cambridgeshire village road to shut for two weeks

Road closures have been announced for the week ahead

A busy Cambridgeshire village road will close this week with motorists facing a five mile diversion. The B1043, between Rusts Lane and Ermine Street in Alconbury, will be shut from February 15 to February 26.

The works are being carried out by the county council and will involve “crack sealing” on the road. They say that this is necessary to prevent potholes and to better protect the surface in freezing conditions.

Roadworks will be in place at all times during the closure period. A diversion route will also come into effect around the village and people are being advised to plan their journeys accordingly.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Crack sealing works are an essential part of maintaining the structural strength of a road surface. If untreated, cracks may deteriorate and develop into potholes. We seal cracks in the road to prevent the ingress of water which can cause severe damage to the layers of road construction.

“In the winter, ice and freezing conditions can cause significant damage to a road by widening cracks. As the surface degrades, the crack turns into a pothole.”

The diversion route will be via Ermine Street, Spittals Way and Thrapston Road. It is estimated that this will add around six minutes onto journey times.

Do you want more of the latest Cambridgeshire news as it comes in? Sign up to our dedicated newsletter to make sure you never miss a big story from Cambridge or anywhere else in the county. You can also sign up to our dedicated Peterborough, Traffic and Crime newsletters for the latest updates on the topics you are most interested in.