A moorland road closed while it is rebuilt should reopen in March.

Residents attending this week's Haworth, Stanbury and Cross Roads neighbourhood forum were told by Bradford council that work on the road should be completed then.

Highways officers Jutinder Birdi and John Firby said the project was delayed by the autumn weather.

Mr Birdi said: "We were hoping it would be complete on-site by the new year, but we have suffered quite bad weather which has upset weather-sensitive operations.

"Water proofing is the most critical operation which has to be done before all the other operations can be carried out. It requires more than four deg-rees centigrade temperature and has to be done in the dry.

"During most of December, we had wet weather which we tried to combat by putting up a tent, but then temperatures started dropping towards the end of the month.

"We are looking to open the road in about four to seven weeks. Once it is open there will be some additional work that needs doing."

Mr Birdi said the road should be fully re-opened by the end of March after stone work on roadside walls is completed.

Many people at the forum were disappointed to learn that the council will not be incorporating traffic calming and road-safety measures at the junction of Hebden Road and Brow Top.

Many residents say traffic calming measures are required along Hebden Road and Brow Top to slow down drivers. They claim the junction is a potential accident blackspot, and that it will take a fatal accident before action is taken.

Residents asked why some of the £5 million spent on the project has not been allocated for traffic calming. Mr Birdi replied: "The road will have certain road safety measures incorporated, including white lining, 'slow' markings, reflective billets and 30mph signs on a section of the road. Hebden Road is a landslip scheme, not a traffic safety scheme.

On the subject of compensation, he said: "There is no compensation for disruption. In terms of property, we have taken photos of houses before the work started, which we will compare with photos after."

Mr Birdi also promised to look into street lighting in the area after some residents voiced concern.

about the current lack of lighting on Hebden Road.

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