On the day the news (see previous post) came out that it could be 12 months before the cliff face is safe enough for the road to be completely reopened work is already started to open the seaward side of then carriageway to two way traffic. This should happen some time in the week starting March 10.
This is the area at most risk. 5 weeks ago this was covered in bushes and scrub, dense vegetation grew here hiding the rocks from view. Only now can they be seen and the true danger of rock falls has become apparent.
In this picture you can see the problem. Many people have said that it stands to reason that the roots hold everything together so remove the vegetation and everything falls apart. Well it is true that vegetation does stop erosion, soil erosion. But if you click on the picture you will see clearly just what the roots have been doing to this slab of rock. The root on the side has forced part of the slab to split, moving a section upwards. Had the tree continued to grow the root would have got bigger lifting the rock more and more and allowing rain in. A bit of frost and the crack would have got even bigger.The root at the top is also lifting a section of rock away from the main slab. Not as big but big enough to make a dent in anyone's head.Multiply this small slab of rock by a hundred and you begin to get an idea of the scale of the problem.
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