A57 Snake Pass now closed to cyclists and walkers amid safety concerns following landslips

Derbyshire County Council has taken the step to close the route to all apart from those who live there or their visitors because of concerns for the safety of cyclists and walkers.

The authority said there had been large groups of cyclists visiting the road, and standing on the part that has slipped and their monitoring showed that the landslip is still moving.

There is still traffic on the road, as people live there and the council has vehicles going up to monitor the landslip and carry out other work on other parts of the road.

The authority added: “We are very concerned that there will be an accident involving a vehicle and a cyclist because of the large numbers of cyclists that have taken the opportunity to go out and ride the road. We are also aware of road races involving vehicles taking place at night.

“The road now has barriers with someone monitoring it 24/7 at each end. Please only visit if you live there or are visiting someone who does.

“We do realise that many cyclists have enjoyed the opportunity to cycle this iconic route while it is closed due to the landslip - it is for their safety that this cannot continue. Our apologies, but safety is our first priority.”

The council announced in February that the road would be closed for at least a month after three landslips following three successive major storms.

However, as reported yesterday (Monday) some people have been ignoring the road closed signs.