Highways chiefs have confirmed that a new road will be built to take traffic when a section of the A595 near Whitehaven is shut for safety works.

And they have ruled out shutting the section of the road affected by a landslip – between the Lowca junction and Howgate roundabout – until the new diversion road is built. The road is “entirely safe” to use in the meantime, they add.

A well-attended public drop-in session in Lowca gave residents and councillors the chance to have their say on Highways England’s plans to divert large volumes of traffic when the road is closed for up to nine months to replace a Victorian embankment off the northbound carriageway.

Jonathan Reade, asset manager for Highways England, agreed that it was “nonsense” to expect motorists to make a 40-mile diversion through Egremont, Frizington, Lamplugh and Cockermouth, and said that a new road “has to happen”.

Although it will run from the Howgate roundabout and rejoin the A595 beyond the closed section, Mr Reade said that no decisions had been taken on its precise route. The coloured section on the map is the area being considered.

Mr Reade said: “The embankment is not in any imminent danger of collapse; we would have closed the road immediately if it were.

“But in the long-term, the embankment has to be replaced – it is our last resort as all other options have been ruled out – and that can’t be done in an afternoon.

“But we will not touch the embankment until the new road is in place.”

Among those inspecting the plans in Lowca Village Hall was Gillian Troughton, Cumbria county councillor for the Howgate ward.

She said: “If the diversion road that is created is suitable and alleviates some of the other issues in the area for residents of Moresby, Parton and Lowca, then the county council could adopt the temporary road to create a permanent solution.”

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Lowca resident Brian Ennis added his preferred option was the new road

rejoining the A595 at Parton, “possibly with a roundabout with the Criffel Road junction.”

The parish councils of Lowca and Parton are also pushing for the junctions to their respective villages to be improved as part of the scheme.

Mr Reade said that feedback received yesterday will be used as Highways “plans its solution”.

He added that planning stage will take 18 months to two years and the creation of the new road a further six to nine months. The A595 would then be closed for the repair.

Work on a new nuclear power station on land next to Sellafield is expected to begin in 2020/2021, and Mr Reade admitted it would be “sensible” for the work to take place before demand on the road is increased.