A chance to learn about the Rothbury landslip

The Rothbury Crag End landslip project was one of the county council’s most complex engineering schemes, taking more than three years to complete.

The £10million project on the B6344 road followed a landslip that started on Boxing Day 2012 and worsened during the following months.

The geology of the ground was so difficult a great deal of design and investigations were needed before repairs could get under way.

The actual construction started in February 2015 after engineers spent the previous year installing a pumping system that could remove millions of litres of water from the ground underneath the landslip.

The physical construction work involved driving hundreds of concrete-filled steel tubes up to 80 feet into the ground, with a large concrete beam across the top and 144 ground anchors connected around 100 feet into the ground to stop the land from moving.

The public now have the chance to find out more about the project at Rothbury Fair Day on Monday, when an exhibition stand and display is put up in the Jubilee Hall.

Staff and contractors who worked on the project will be on-hand to explain the work, talk through the engineering challenges and answer any questions.

Northumberland County Council cabinet member for local services, Coun Ian Swithenbank, said: “Crag End was an extraordinarily complicated engineering scheme and while it took some time it was money well spent.

“While it’s great the project has received recognition from industry experts, the most positive feedback has been from the communities around Rothbury who have benefited both economically and travel wise since the road re-opened.

“The open event will highlight the skills and determination of all those who worked on the project and should be fascinating for visitors.”

The Crag End project recently scooped a Robert Stephenson Award from the Institute of Civil Engineering North East –an annual celebration of civil engineering excellence in the region.