Is the A646 Halifax Road open yet: New target opening date for busy route that links two Calderdale towns

The A646 Halifax Road has already been shut for two weeks for emergency sewer repair work.

Now deputy leader for Calderdale Council and Luddenden Foot ward councillor Scott Patient says Yorkshire Water is hoping to have the road open again by Monday, January 6.

One of Hebden Bridge’s ward councillors, Sarah Courtney, had said she has been told by Yorkshire Water that the route would be back open on Christmas Eve “at the latest”.

But Coun Patient said sewer is more damaged than Yorkshire Water originally thought.

He posted on Tuesday: “Yorkshire Water are still exploring if they can repair the sewer without removing one or more sections of the Calderdale Council-maintained culvert, which is their preference to avoid disrupting any of the other services in this area.

"The new target date for reopening the road is by January 6 but clearly everyone is working hard to make this happen sooner.

"Once the road is reopened there will be further work to be done by Yorkshire Water and Calderdale Council but this will be under traffic lights if required.

"Then in four to six weeks Yorkshire Water intend to line the culvert, which is a process to hydraulically seal it.”

The route is the main road between Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, and its closure – in both directions at the junction with Stony Lane in Charlestown - has caused delays to drivers and bus passengers having to be diverted.

Traders in Hebden Bridge and Todmorden have also been reporting a drop in trade as people avoid the road closure.

The diversions are sending lorries onto the M62 and other traffic via the A58 through Littleborough.

Calderdale Council is urging people to follow the signed routes and not try to use other rural, narrow roads which it says are not suitable for heavy volumes of traffic.

A spokesperson for the council said: “The council has placed extensive signage on surrounding routes to advise of the closure point and remind people that businesses remain open.

"Hebden Bridge, and as far as Stony Lane, can be reached from the Halifax side and people can access as far as Charlestown from the Todmorden side."