A key route through the Peaks has reopened after 16 months.

The B5470 Macclesfield Road between Ginclough and Kettleshulme is back open to motorists, as of Friday, May 29.

It had been shut since January 2025, when the embankment supporting the road collapsed together with part of the carriageway following a period of heavy rainfall.

Since then, a complex, large-scale highway repair scheme has taken place, costing £2 million.

Councillor Mark Goldsmith, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "I want to thank everyone for their patience as I know this closure has caused significant disruption to residents, local businesses and road users.

"However, this has been a very challenging scheme, not least because the collapse happened without warning.

"It was unforeseeable and once the hillside gave way, there was never going to be an easy way to fix it.

"It left us with no other option but to close the road and undertake the extensive works needed to stabilise the hillside and rebuild the road."

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An emergency closure was put in place in January 2025 (Credit: Change.org/Keith Nixon)

The location, terrain and condition of the existing road meant that multiple surveys including, ecological, geotechnical and drainage surveys had to take place before the civil engineering project could begin.

The discovery of previously unidentified land drains during construction also presented further challenges. It is suspected that a break in one of these historic pipes contributed to the collapse of the hillside.

The works were originally due to be completed in several weeks' time but thanks to the efforts of the highways teams on site, the road was reopened to traffic on Friday, May 29.

Councillor Goldsmith added: "The scale of this project is reflected in the volume of materials removed, recycled and installed on site.

"More than 4,000 tonnes of sand, spoil and old road surface have been removed and recycled during the scheme – equivalent to the weight of around 2,700 family cars. The huge amount of sand we removed has been sold to a building company to use in construction, which also shows why the hillside was so unstable.

"Managing the safe removal and reuse of these materials within the constraints of this rural location also added to the complexity of the works.

"We have now made significant improvements to the drainage infrastructure to help increase resilience during periods of heavy rainfall. This includes the installation of 64 metres of new land drains, along with new surface water drainage gullies and headwalls to improve waterflow. Additional manholes have also been installed to support long-term inspection and maintenance.

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"Over 5,000 tonnes of aggregate and soil were used to rebuild and strengthen the embankment, which was then seeded to blend in with the surrounding area. This section of road is situated within a national park, so it was essential that is does not detract from the outstanding beauty of the wider landscape.

"Vegetation has also been cleared along this section of the B5470 and the road has been fully resurfaced, underlining the scale of the work which has taken place to improve the road, drainage and long‑term reliability of the network."

"More than 4,000 tonnes of sand, spoil and old road surface have been removed and recycled during the scheme (Credit: Tim Roca)

Works will continue on site for a short time to dismantle the temporary footbridge.

Welcoming the road's reopening, Macclesfield MP Tim Roca said: "This has been a long and frustrating process for many residents, communities and commuters who rely on this crucial road link, and I know the initial delays caused real concern and disruption. Many people rightly contacted me about the impact the closure was having.

"While it has taken longer than anyone would have wanted, this became a major engineering project to repair the collapsed embankment and secure the road for the long term costing £2 Million. I want to thank the engineers, contractors and highways teams who have worked hard to finally get this road reopened."

The reopening of the B5470 has also seen the 60 and 60A High Peak buses, which connect Macclesfield with New Mills and Hayfield, resume normal service.

High Peak's relief operations manager Matt Howes said: "I'm sure our customers will welcome services 60 and 60A resuming normal service between Macclesfield, New Mills and Hayfield."

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The project cost around £2 million (Credit: Tim Roca)