BUSINESSES in Drybrook are still bearing the brunt of the main road closure that is the gateway between the Forest and Ross.

Businessman Trevor Griffiths runs the Overbrook Garage, he said: "It has been six months since the road to the cutting shut and there's still no news on when it's going to be reopened. It's very frustrating for businesses like myself, who rely on passing traffic to support you. Drybrook at the moment appears to have been cut off from the rest of the Forest as traffic has been diverted away from the village.

"I have tried to ask various people who would know when the road is likely to reopen and there are whispers that it will be July. The road is currently being drilled into as it needs to be established what state the road is in and what work needs to be done to repair it. I can't see how a tree falling over has caused so much delay."

Local highways manager, Brian Watkins, said: "Our last report that we received in February stated that due to the extent of the road damage that the road would need to be resigned. We are carrying out a thorough investigation of the site before a design can be prepared for the reconstruction of the embankment. We are aware of the impact this closure has had on the local community, but this is a 100ft embankment from top to bottom and we want to make sure we get all the information we need before starting work."

It is still unknown how long this will take and when it's likely that the road will reopen.

Trevor added: "We remain hopeful that we will get the answers we want but at the moment nobody knows what is going on – but I've still got to make a living!"