THE cost of the A449 closure near Malvern has already surpassed £2 million and there is still no reopening date in sight.
New figures have shown that the initial closure of the A449 near the British Camp car park for repairs to a collapsed retaining wall, which took place from September 8, 2025 to May 1, 2026, stand at £2,245,949.16.
This includes, £685,092.32 for survey, investigation, design and site supervision, £1,476,093.62 for construction and traffic management and £84,763 for diversion of a gas main.
The costs, which the Malvern Gazette obtained via a Freedom of Information request to Worcestershire County Council, do not include those incurred from ongoing works relating to a new and separate landslip, which appeared in February this year.
The council said there was no set budget at the start of the project as it was “accident remedial work”.
It added that design and construction were funded by the council’s annual maintenance allocation from the Department for Transport.
WORKS: The works to a collapsed retaining wall started a year ago (Image: Supplied)
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Why is the A449 still closed near British Camp?
The road was scheduled to reopen in April this year but this had to be delayed due to the new landslip.
A ground investigation was carried out over the summer, with a report now being drawn up.
Traffic site One.Network is reporting that the A449 is to remain closed until September 30, 2026 but Worcestershire County Council told us it did not have a confirmed reopening date.
It did not respond to rumours that government funding may be needed to complete the works.
A spokesperson from Worcestershire County Council, said: “We do not currently have an estimated cost or completion date for the second landslip at A449 British Camp.
“These will be informed by the GeoTech report and the subsequent preferred design, which we expect to receive by the end of autumn.
“All confirmed updates will be published on our dedicated webpage.”
READ MORE: Council responds to ‘rumour’ A449 works could need government funding
Residents and businesses impact
Councillor Malcolm Victory, who represents Malvern Chase on Worcestershire County Council, has said he feels sorry for businesses and residents impacted by the closure.
“My heart goes out to all those businesses which have been badly hit by the closure, first for the repair lower down and then by this disaster, just as the first repair was complete.
IMPACT: Councillor Malcolm Victory said he feels sorry for businesses and residents who have been impacted by the A449 closure (Image: Submitted)
“I sympathise for all those whose travel has been disrupted, and whose lives have been made a misery by the traffic using the rat runs over the Hills rather than the inordinately long diversion routes offered by the county Highways.
“However, we cannot change what has already happened, and I will continue doing my best to hasten the completion of the repairs.”
