Cracks have begun to show in a key Wiltshire road destroyed in a major landslip four years ago.
The B4069 Lyneham Banks reopened in April 2025, over three years after a landslip caused a large section of the route to buckle.
The road, which is used by thousands of drivers every day, was closed for years while a major project to reconstruct it was planned and carried out.
Over a year after the road was restored and reopened, Wiltshire Council confirmed it is aware that minor movement and reflective cracking have begun to impact the carriageway.
The council emphasised that the cracking is not a repeat of the landslip and the road remains safe to use.
Inspections of the road surface will continue and further action will be taken if it deteriorates.
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Cllr Martin Smith, cabinet member for highways, said: “We are aware of some minor movement and reflective cracking on sections of the B4069 at Lyneham Banks.
“Specialist monitoring and engineering assessments have concluded that this does not indicate a repeat of the 2022 landslip, and the section strengthened as part of the major stabilisation works continues to perform as intended.
“The road remains safe to use and will continue to be monitored through routine inspections.
“If there is any further deterioration, appropriate localised repairs will be carried out.”
Cllr Allison Bucknell recently told residents that temporary “uneven road” signs had been installed as a precaution.
She said that the underlying issue that makes The Banks a challenging location remains despite the repairs carried out to the carriageway.
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The project to reinstate the road, carried out by contractor Octavius Infrastructure, cost £5 million and involved reinforcing the road against further ground movement.
At the time, Octavius operations director Chris Hudson was confident the newly installed safeguards would prevent ground movement from causing a repeat of the landslip.
He said: “We’re really happy with what has been a top-notch project despite some challenges along the way like weather and ground conditions.
“There is a concrete beam and below that is a set of piles, 108 in total about 12 metres long, and they’re essentially holding back the pressures from the embankment.
“There’s a set of mini piles underneath the road to provide resistance against any movement, that’s all tied together by the concrete beam.
“Effectively you’ve got a huge wall that is resisting the pressures so we’re really confident in the design.”
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