Flooded road needs permanent fix, say residents

People living and working near a well-known flood area have asked why more could not be done to permanently fix the problem.

The A1123 Earith Causeway, in Cambridgeshire, runs alongside River Great Ouse and has been shut due to flooding, which has caused long diversions for motorists.

The Earith Post Office said the closure was badly affecting its business with lack of passing trade.

Cambridgeshire County Council said a study was currently under way to give a better idea of costings of a potential long-term solution.

May Lowe said she lives in the nearby village of Bluntisham, Cambridgeshire, but works in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, which could currently only be reached via a long diversion.

"[The A1123 Earith Causeway] is a through route and a massively busy road normally, used by lorries and commuters alike," she said.

Lowe said the causeway was only a "short little road" and has to be allowed to flood, but wonders why a bridge could not be built over it.

"Traffic is diverted on to other routes which become clogged, and doubles the time of my usual journey," she added.

Angela Lake, who has lived in Earith since 2009, said the causeway closing has always been an issue.

"It is such a pain, it can't be beyond the wit of man to raise the road a bit, it is getting worse and more frequent," she said.

Lake said she sometimes has to look after her grandchildren in Cambridge and the diversion into St Ives was "frustrating".

"The council have no money to fix it, so we just have to live with it, it must have an impact on the local shop with no passing traffic," she added.

Lake said she felt the local ditches for drainage had not been well-maintained over the years, but thought the flooded road was a "solvable problem".

Sivanathan Kailasapillai said that passing trade was a big part of his business on Earith High Street.

"There is a lot of water about and it could take a few more days to clear up," he said.

Kailasapillai said he thought the building of a bridge would be far too expensive, and he was just hoping for some dry weather soon to ease the flooding situation.

David Norville has run a garage business for three years in Earith and said that customers sometimes cancel bookings because they do not have an extra hour to make the journey via diversions.

"[The A1123 Earith Causeway] seems to be shut much more often these days and really impacts me," he said.

Norville, who lives in Cambridge, said diversions into St Ives were always "gridlocked" and a "nightmare".

"I have a big sign out on the road that brings me business, but without the through traffic that trade has gone," he added.

Norville said he wondered why the road could not be slightly raised but thought it was all probably "down to money".

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said a study into three flood affected roads, including Earith Causeway, was commissioned by its Highways and Transport Committee last year and was currently under way.

"This involves reviewing historic flood data and considering potential solutions, such as altering the road alignment or bridge structure.

"We expect the study to be completed by the end of May, after which we will review the next steps.

"Dealing with flood affected roads can be complex. This study will give us a better idea of the options and costs," they added.

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