Police speak out after drivers and cyclists ignore Snake Pass closure despite landslip

Bikers from the Derbyshire Roads Policing Unit (DRPU) reported on Monday, March 7 that drivers and cyclists were circumventing the closures in place on the A57.

The road was closed on Monday, February 21 due to three landslips, and crews from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue were also dealing with a moorland fire yesterday, which was blowing smoke across the route.

DRPU officers said that people were still attempting to use the Snake Pass in spite of these two incidents, and that the closure was now being staffed 24 hours a day to stop people accessing the road.

The road will be closed for at least a further three weeks, and Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways, Kewal Singh Athwal, said there is no timeframe for its reopening.

MORE: Snake Pass closed: Road near Sheffield will be shut for weeks following storm-related landslides

“I know this will be a huge inconvenience to everyone who uses the A57 regularly. However, with the ground underneath the road surface expected to continue to move, in the interests of everyone’s safety, we simply cannot allow traffic to use the road,” he said.

“Once the land movement has stopped we will assess what needs doing to repair the sections of road. However, once in a position to do this, it will be a complicated piece of work.

“I’d like to thank everyone for their patience as we deal with the aftermath of this unprecedented weather, which has affected not only Derbyshire, but much of the country.”