HOPE is finally on the horizon for the villagers of Waterbeck who have seen a road in their village shut for nearly four years.
An emergency road closure was slapped on the C61a by Dumfries and Galloway Council in March 2019, after a reinstatement of a utilities track was deemed to have failed and the road surface became too dangerous to drive on.
The local authority has since been in dispute with SP Energy Networks over liability and responsibility – all the while leaving the road closed and forcing traffic, including HGVs serving the nearby quarry, onto a diverted route on the B722.
But now progress seems to have finally been made and a council spokesperson yesterday said: “Dumfries and Galloway Councils Road Service are currently finalising contract details with a view to securing a contractor to undertake the repairs to the C61a.
“We anticipate that works will commence in the first quarter of the new financial year.”
Meanwhile, SP Energy Networks also released a statement, saying: “We have worked with the local council to carry out repairs to the C61a road throughout this process and remain committed to ensuring the road is in a better condition.
“We will be in touch with the local community and stakeholders to inform them of the timeline for the repairs.
“We always work to minimise disruption and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
