A road that effectively cut off residents in a rural Monmouthshire village when a landslip took most of it away has finally reopened.

Villagers in Llanthony are once again able to travel to the nearby town of Abergavenny in less than an hour owing to the full reopening of the road.

A landslip took away part of the road in January, which meant drivers faced the daunting drive over the Black Mountains pass to Hay-on-Wye, before driving back down to Monmouthshire via the A465. That’s a grand total trip of over four hours

Finally, the engineers on site have made the finishing touches to the road which will reconnect the residents of Llanthony to the communities south of the valley.

“After months of disruption, residents of the valley are finally able to travel freely in and out once again, bringing a huge sense of relief to local people, businesses, and the wider rural community,” said Bryony Gittins, who is a farmer and the host of Llanthony Castaway glamping.

“The reopening of the road restores an important lifeline for those living and working in the valley, many of whom faced significant challenges accessing work, schools, supplies, appointments, and tourism trade during the closure.”

“None more so than The Half Moon and Llanthony Priory pubs, whosebusinesses were severely affected after the landslide at the end ofJanuary cut the valley off, leaving residents and visitors facing anhour-and-a-half diversion via alternative routes.”

“There is also optimism that visitors will now return in full to enjoy everything the valley has to offer, from its stunning scenery and walking routes to its much-loved pubs, businesses, and historic landmarks.”

Monmouthshire Council quickly bought the land adjacent to the road where the landslip had taken place from a private land owner, which meant contractors could be appointed to rebuild the road. However, the move was not without its controversy, as some councillors and nearby residents publicly criticised the £100,000 bill the taxpayer would have to foot in order to reconnect the community.

County Councillor and local resident, Cllr Rachel Buckler, had said more needs to be done to prevent the council being effectively held to ransom should an incident of this nature happen again.

A report outlining the urgency of the decision will be presented to the next meeting of the full council. But Llanthony resident and County Councillor, Rachel Buckler, has said the purchase could set an unhealthy precedent.

“I recognise the goodwill and intention of Monmouthshire County Council to do the very best for residents,” she said.

“But to have to react in extremis means that we are forced to accept what, in normal circumstances would be excessive costs. Funds have been obtained from the Welsh Government to help with these costs, but is it reasonable value for the taxpayer? I cannot believe it is.”

A report for the cabinet stated purchasing the 1.5-acre strip of land, which will be used to re-align the road at the point of the slip, is “the only viable option”.

Monmouthshire Council declined a freedom of information request (FOI) which would confirm the identity of the landowner in the public domain due to the commercial negotiation being of “less public interest.”