The reopening of the B5470 Macclesfield Road in Rainow has been delayed.

Cheshire East Council has confirmed that 'previously undetected defects' have been discovered during repair works, which began at the end of October.

The road was initially expected to reopen in March, however, this has now been pushed back to the summer.

A spokesperson for Cheshire East Council said: "Carrying out the works during the winter months has allowed us to observe the issues on site at their most severe.

"Excavations on both sides of the embankment have uncovered longstanding and previously undetected defects, which must be addressed to allow the safe reopening of the carriageway.

"These further issues mean additional work is required to ensure the long‑term stability and safety of the road. Progress has been slowed further by recent snow, storms and prolonged wet weather.

"As a result, additional work is required and, unfortunately, this will extend the construction programme. We now anticipate that the road will reopen in early summer 2026."

Excavations uncovered previously undetected defects (Credit: CEC)

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The spokesperson continued: "Our teams are currently reviewing and reorganising the programme to minimise delays, as far as is reasonably possible, and we will provide a more-detailed update as soon as one is available.

"We recognise the disruption this causes and are working hard to complete the repairs and reopen the road as safely and as quickly as possible.

"We want to thank residents and road users for their patience and understanding and we apologise again for any inconvenience caused during these essential works."

Councillor for the Sutton ward which the B5470 passes through, Chris O'Leary, has raised the matter with the the council's head of highways, Dominic De Bechi.

He said: "Having been assured just three weeks ago that the Macclesfield Road works would be completed on schedule, I have now been told that the road's reopening has been delayed until the summer.

"I am now raising this with the head of highways, as I am disappointed (polite word) in how poorly this has been handled from the outset."