WORK to repair a road closed since February 2020 due to flood damage has got underway.

Major work is taking place in Park Road, Elland, which runs between Brighouse and Halifax, after a landslip caused by flooding caused major cracking and damage making the road unsafe.

The slip caused a 60 metre crack to open up in the road along with smaller tension cracks, and immediate work had to be carried out to prevent further damage, monitor the ground, investigation and clear the site, which included removing the invasive plant Himalayan Balsam, while some BT infrastructure also had to be relocated.

Complex engineering is now underway to bring it back into use, including workers installing 157 deep bored piles and ground anchors tied together with concrete beams to improve drainage.

Due to the nature of the work additional funding had to be found, with Calderdale Council securing £1.8m from Government to cover it earlier this year.

The work is being done by Esh Construction, who are aiming to provide a pedestrian route beside the works while they take place, and it's hoped the work will be finished in the early part of next year.

Councillor Jane Scullion, cabinet member for regeneration and strategy at Calderdale Council, said: “We know how difficult this long road closure is for local residents and commuters.

"This has been an incredibly large and challenging project and we are doing everything we can to reopen Park Road as soon as possible.

“Thanks to Transforming Cities funding, we will also be making improvements to the road by introducing new pedestrian and cycling facilities, which will make it easier for people to get to Elland town centre and the proposed new Elland rail station.

"Encouraging walking and cycling is a key part of our ambition to improve air quality, tackle the climate emergency and help people to be more active and healthy.”

Steve Conn, divisional director at Esh Construction, added: “We fully understand the difficulty this road closure continues to cause.

"In partnership with Calderdale Council, we are working hard to deliver the scheme with the aim to re-open the road as soon as possible, and in the meantime we have re-established a footway to allow pedestrians to use the highway safely.”