8/1/2009 - Sewer replacement works to affect B5307 Carlisle to Kirkbride road at Moorhouse

United utilities sewer replacement works starting next week (January 12) will mean that the B5307 Main Street in Moorhouse (west Carlisle) will be closed both ways. 

The work is scheduled to last until around Easter and will begin at the west end of the village and proceed in stages to the eastern end.

The county council has a statutory obligation to publish a diversionary route that caters for the needs of all traffic using the road from one end of the closure to the other. The published diversion therefore goes west from Moorhouse along the B5307 to Thurstonfield, south via Great Orton on the C1021, then east along Orton Road towards Carlisle, then north along Sandsfield Lonning back to the B5307 Moorhouse Road, then west to the east end of Moorhouse. 

However, most people who use the road do so as part of a longer journey from Kirkbride to Carlisle. Therefore the council is advising that these users (particularly lorries to/from Kirkbride Airfield) use the road south through Oulton to the A596 Wigton Bypass. Kirkbampton and Thurstonfield traffic should continue along the road to the A595 at Orton Grange rather than drive back around the diversion route.

The message to all local users is to listen to local radio for traffic updates,  exercise common sense and head for the A595/6 or the C2042 coast road.

Local winter gritting arrangements will be stepped up to cover roads used in the diversions. The C1021 from Thurstonfield to Orton Grange will be upgraded to a priority two gritting route from its normal status as a priority three route for the duration of the work, meaning it will be gritted every time the gritters go out in the area rather than just after an extended period of cold weather. The B5307 to Thurstonfield,the C2051 to Great Orton and the U1124 back to the B5307 and on to Carlisle will be gritted as usual. However the B5307 east of Thurstonfield to the U1124 junction will not be gritted. 

County Councillor for Dalston, John Collier, said: "I welcome the investment United Utilities is putting into this upgrade to the drainage system. Both I and local people have campaigned for this for years. Of course there will be temporary traffic disruptions, but we will do everything we can to keep these to a minimum. Please bear with us while this essential work is carried out."

ENDS

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