Lincolnshire roads damaged by drought

Roads across Lincolnshire have faced "significant movement" this year due to the summer being one of the driest on record, a council report states.

The report, from Lincolnshire County Council's highways department, said its network across the county "wasn't designed to withstand this level of drought-induced stress".

It said that even A-roads, which are generally "more resilient" than B-roads, had experienced "movement and cracking".

Barrier Bank in Crowland has been closed since September due to the extent of the damage.

The council initially hoped it would be able to make temporary repairs to Barrier Bank and reopen the road.

However, it was discovered that the damage was worse than previously thought, and a full investigation is taking place into the possible options, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The report said: "We have undertaken repairs throughout the network. This has involved crack sealing, patching and installing temporary speed limits where required.

"Where more extensive work has been required, we have carried out significant patching and surfacing repairs.

"We have managed to open all but one carriageway throughout this period."

The report highlighted 46 sites where "cracking, abrupt level differences and undulation" had been recorded.

The council said that seriously damaged roads were being assessed and would likely require "full reconstruction and substantially higher investment".

Councillors are due to discuss the issue at a highways and transport scrutiny committee meeting on Monday.

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