The reopening follows the completion of the first phase of a £3 million programme of repairs and safety improvements to a 1.7km stretch of the route between the A53 Leek Road junction and the A537 at the Derbyshire County boundary.
The road has been closed since 27 July and was originally scheduled to remain closed until 30 October. Careful planning, favourable weather and excellent progress by teams working on site mean the first phase has been completed ahead of schedule.
The extensive work included major excavations across the full width of the road, requiring the route to be closed to all traffic while it was carried out safely.
Phase 1 was prioritised for completion before winter and has included:
- rebuilding sections of the road and laying new foundations
- resurfacing and a high-friction treatment to improve skid resistance
- installing 250 metres of new drainage pipes
- improving gullies, chambers, connections and outfalls to help reduce surface water flooding
- installing new road markings and reflective road studs
- replacing and repairing traffic signs
- installing new kerbs and reflective bollards.
The improvements are intended to make the route safer and more resilient, particularly during wet weather and poor visibility.
Councillor Charlotte Hill, our Cabinet Member for Highways, said:
“We know how important the Cat and Fiddle route is to residents, businesses and people travelling between Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire, so we are very pleased to be reopening it three weeks earlier than planned.
“A great deal has been achieved since the closure began in July. Teams have rebuilt and resurfaced sections of the road, installed new drainage and delivered a range of safety improvements before the more challenging winter weather arrives.
Completing this phase early is the result of careful planning and hard work, across days and nights throughout the course of the programme.”
“The closure and diversion route has been a disruption to residents and businesses, but the way we have delivered this scheme, means we hope to reduce disruption long term.
“By delivering multiple upgrades all at the same time, we have made long term improvements that will last years to come. This means, we won’t have to revisit and disrupt residents to carry out planned maintenance work for a long time.
“This is the first phase of a wider programme, and we will return in spring 2027 to complete further improvements. We will provide clear information about the dates and arrangements as soon as these are confirmed.”
The official diversion using the A54, A523 and A53 will remain in place until the road reopens. It was selected because it provides a suitable alternative route for all vehicles, including lorries and buses.
Future of the project
Further work is planned to begin in spring 2027 and is expected to last approximately 11 weeks.
A full closure will again be necessary because of the scale of the work, the restricted nature of the route and the large machinery required.
Phase 2 will include:
- strengthening and repairing earth banks to reduce the risk of soil and rocks falling onto the road during bad weather
- improving visibility along the route
- completing the remaining resurfacing
- installing further drainage and culverts, safety barriers, kerbs and traffic signs.
Confirmed dates, closure arrangements and diversion information will be published nearer the time.
The project is being delivered by Derbyshire County Council and funded by the East Midlands Combined County Authority.