Hale Independent Issue 185

7 NOVEMBER 2025 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk SIGNIFICANT progress has been made on the emer- gency repair works to Mill House Bridge in Adlington following extensive dam- agecausedbyaflashflood. The bridge supports the southbound traffic lane of the A523, and part of the arch structure had collapsed. Following a detailed inspection, comprehen- sive repair works started in June and are now near- ing completion. Much of the work that highways crews have beenworking on has been below the bridge and out of sight of the public, but Cheshire East Council says “a huge amount of pro- gress”has beenmade. It includes the damming and diversion of the river, joining the new part of the bridge to the existing structure, reinforcing the surrounding north-south retaining wall, underpin- ning and increasing the size of the bridge’s foun- dation and stabilising the ground. The final phase of the bridge restoration is now underway, which focuses on putting back the arch support, and should be completed by November 7. Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council’s highways and transport committee, said: “This has not been a straight-for- ward repair, and a huge Damage: The road collapse in Rainow (Photo credit: CEC) A £1.6million repair programme to fix a large road collapse in Rainow is set to get underway. Cheshire East Coun- cil has given an update on the project to fix a large part of the embankment support- ing the B5470 Mac- clesfield Road, midway between Ginclough and Kettleshulme. The embankment col- lapsed, along with part of the highway, after heavy and consistent rainfall in January. The road remains closed to vehicles for safety reasons but is passable to cyclists and pedestrians. Before repairs could begin, a series of complex tasks had to be carried out. The repair work is scheduled to start on October 27 and it will take approximately 20 weeks – completing by mid-March next year. The works will include reinforcing the embankment, which will be seeded over to blend in with the surroundings, a full replacement of the road drainage system, and widening the footprint of both the embank- ment and the road to ensure long-term sta- bility and the safety of road users. Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East’s highways and transport committee, said: “After considerable heavy rain, the hillside collapsed and took the road with it. Things like this are beyond our control and there was nothing the council could do to pre- vent it. “However, we have been working hard to overcome the very complex challenges it created and to deliver the large civil engi- neering project needed to rebuild the hillside and reinstate the road. “We have also been working with High Peak National Park Author- ity to ensure the work is also sympathetic to this area of outstanding nat- ural beauty. “Most of this work has all been going on behind the scenes. However, we can now get on site and start the re-build. “It will mean working during the winter, which in the Peak District with its unpredictable weather and shorter daylight hours is not ideal. However, doing this is the fastest way to get the road reopened. “Our teams are expe- rienced in managing winter construction, so we will ensure the work is carried out safely and efficiently.” Progress: Mill House Bridge has undergone major work (Photo credit: CEC) Bridge repairs near completion amount of planning, skill and effort has gone into it so far. “We recognise the importance of the bridge andA523withinCheshire East’s road network and I’d like to thank residents and motorists for their patience. We have com- mitted full resources to ensure this road fully reopens as quickly as possible.” Embankment repair plan is revealed