TWO roads con­necting both sides of the border were closed last week.

A landslip on the A466 at Dead Man's corner in Tintern last Monday morning caused the road to remain shut until mid-Tuesday afternoon (October 29).

At least 50 tons of rock, mud, dirt, vegetation and trees had fallen from the embankment when Monmouthshire County Council attended the landslip at 4.45am and closed the road a few hours after. 

Once the debris had been cleared, the road was re-opened with traffic lights and a temporary concrete barrier in place adjacent to the slip to protect traffic while officers assessed the damage. The barrier was put in place as a precautionary measure since it is not expected that anything other than trees will reach it.

A spokesman for Monmouthshire County Council said: "Soil, boulders and trees on the cliff face need to be removed since they are unstable. This must be done in a safe and considered manner so it may be some time before work is carried out. 

"A specialist company has assessed the slip and the likelihood is that a roped access team and large mechanical excavator will work in tandem to remove all loose and hazardous material once a plan of action is agreed. Provided that no permanent work is necessary the temporary measures will be in place for at least a month."

Only three days later, the main gateway between the Forest and Monmouth was closed for several hours when a fallen tree obstructed part of the A4136. The road between Monmouth and Staunton re-opened the same morning at 9am and was not a landslip as originally thought.

Forest commuters had to follow the diverted route via the B4228 Coleford to St Briavels route.