14 weeks of full closure for A54 Cat and Fiddle road
Derbyshire County Council will be shutting the A54 Macclesfield Main Road, known as the Cat and Fiddle, for 14 weeks as they make ‘major improvements’.
A 2.8km stretch of the A54 from its junction with Leek Road A53 to its junction with the A537 at the county border will be closed for 14 weeks starting from late July and will remain closed until late October and then more work is due in the spring of 2027.
A spokesperson for DCC said: “As the works are extensive, needing major excavations across the full width of the road and the use of large equipment and machinery, the A54 Macclesfield Main Road will be closed to all traffic during both construction phases.
“The closure is needed for the safety of the public and our contractor.”
The road improvements will be split into two phases.
Phase one will start on Monday July, 2026 until Friday October, 30 to complete major works before the start of the winter.
Phase two will start in spring 2027 and the work will last for approximately 12 weeks
A Derbyshire County Council spokesperson said: “Together the two phases will improve the road surface, drainage and road safety and also strengthen the earth banks along the route to prevent them from collapsing across the surface of the road.”
The council said it undertook major ground investigations during May 2026 to help them understand more about the challenges of the A54.
“The route is cut into the hillside with steep sided earth banks next to the road.
“Over time, the banks have started to collapse onto the road due to more extreme weather conditions and inadequate drainage.
“During our site investigations, we drilled into the banks next to the road to learn more about the soil and ground below.
“We also collected data about the type of soil and depth of rock.
“This will guide how we strengthen and reinforce the earth banks along the route as part of the phase two works.”
They say by improving the drainage, it reduces the risk of frost damage, maximising the lifespan of the new road surface.
In addition to the improvements identified during the investigation, DCC also intends to develop a new and improved road drainage system to help reduce surface water issues and improve road safety as part of phase one of the improvements.
During phase one the council will be resurfacing the road between the junction with the A537 at the county border, and where the hill known as The Terret meets the road, installing a new drainage system to make sure rainwater drains away from the road surface to minimise surface water flooding as during cold wintry weather, rainwater can freeze on the road surface, causing potholes to form in any cracks.
Work will include laying high friction surfacing at bends for increased skid resistance, to improve vehicle braking and road safety, as well as making pavement repairs.
The council will also be upgrading the road signs along the route to alert drivers, helping to improve visibility, particularly in poor weather conditions.
Works will include erecting new black and white chevron boards, cat’s eyes and marker posts to illuminate bends, as well as speed limit and warning signs.
The closure of the A54 Macclesfield Road will prevent the 58 bus service from accessing the Cat and Fiddle.
To maintain a service between Buxton and Macclesfield the bus will divert via Long Hill, Kettleshulme and Rainow with most journeys continuing beyond Macclesfield Bus Station to maintain a service to the Black Road area.
Due to the length of this diversion it is not possible for the 58 to maintain service provision to the Burbage area of Buxton during the period of the road closure.
The aim of the first phase of works is to focus on road and drainage improvements ahead of the challenging winter weather conditions.
More work is planned for phase two which will last 12 weeks and is likely to start in April and will include reinforcing the earth banks to make them more stable and less likely to collapse.
This will reduce the risk of falling debris or loose rock falling on to the road as well as the installation of new and repairs to existing safety barriers and bike guards
A DCC spokesperson added: “The completion of the remaining road resurfacing improvements from the junction with the A53 Leek Road and where the hill known as The Terret meets the road and the replacement of existing drainage culverts, the structures and channels that carry water beneath the road, to reduce surface water collecting on the A54 will signify the end of the project.”