MAJOR stabilisation work has been finished on one of the busiest tourist routes along the east coast which has been plagued by landslips and collapses.

The £9m project is on the A174 at Sandsend, one of the main routes into Whitby, which has often had to be closed – causing traffic chaos for drivers and problems for residents.

Contractors Balfour Beatty have done the work for North Yorkshire county council.

The road sits at the top of coastal defences built as part of a former railway and has a boulder clay coastal slope above it. In winter the council has increasingly had to carry out urgent repair work on collapses in the concrete defences as well as slips above the road.

Work on the lower sections of the new defences involved building 450 steps, which were put in using an innovative system that carried the concrete along a rail built into the defences. This got the work done more quickly and minimised disruption because heavy plant and machinery did not have to be brought onto the site.

County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for highways, said: “Renewal of the protection for this stretch of the coast road is a significant financial commitment from both the county council and DEFRA. This is a major tourist route, so completion of the project is good news for both the local and business community.

“The project team, including the council and our contractor, would like to thank the residents, businesses and many friends of Sandsend for the patience, good humour and assistance they have shown during delivery of this vitally important scheme.

Robert Goodwill, MP for Scarborough and Whitby, will officially open the road on August 19. He said: “I am delighted to see this major investment in my constituency to protect this vital stretch of coastline and the main road that runs alongside it.”

Whitby county councillor David Chance, said: “Not only will these works protect this stretch of coastline for many years, but during construction care was taken to protect the environment and make the most of local resources. All the material from the old defences has been reused in the new defences, meaning no waste needed to be taken from the site. In addition, local grass and flower seeds have been used to landscape the area.”

An exhibition showing the work will be held at the Pyman Institute in Sandsend, on August 19 between 9am and noon.