AN engineering project to secure a partially collapsed embankment in Stanton Drew has been successfully completed by Bath & North East Somerset Council.

The £432,000 scheme has stabilised the 130-metre embankment along Upper Stanton, which had partially collapsed and posed a risk to the highway, securing it for the long term.

Councillor Lucy Hodge, cabinet member for sustainable transport delivery, said: “The safety of our residents is always a top priority. We’ve significantly increased the banks integrity, ensuring the long-term safety of the highway and the people that use it. I’d like to thank the residents for their patience and understanding as we completed these works.”

The project was funded by the council’s Highway Maintenance Block Capital Programme for 2025/26, where a total of £9.7-million was allocated to maintain and improve highways and highway assets across the region.

The embankment was stabilised using soil nailing, a technique that reinforces the ground to stabilise embankments by installing long steel bars (soil nails) into pre-drilled holes. A total of 237 soil nails were used, each around three metres long. Waterproofing and drainage improvement works were also carried out and the highway was resurfaced.

VolkerLaser, a contractor of Bath & North East Somerset Council, carried out the works with the team on site operating from an eco-pod powered by solar energy, reducing fuel consumption significantly. Leftover timber from the project was donated to a local business and 1,000 flower bulbs have been given to Stanton Drew Primary School, who plan on replacing those removed from the embankment during the works.

Before the works took place the council held a drop-in session at Stanton Drew Village Hall to discuss the project with local residents.

The project forms part of the council’s wider programme to strengthen rural infrastructure and support the resilience of local communities.