A MAIN road in Herefordshire is being closed later this month and drivers will face a diversion that will add AN HOUR to their trip.

The A40 near Ross-on-Wye is being closed overnight by National Highways from October 29 to November 4.

The road will be closed eastbound between the Dixton roundabout and Whitchurch on October 29, and westbound between October 30 and November 4.

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But the official diversion from National Highways is over 50 miles and takes almost an hour and a half, according to Apple Maps. It takes drivers from Ross-on-Wye up the A49 to Hereford, before travelling to Abergavenny and then to Monmouth.

The official diversion only uses A-roads.

The HGV diversion is even longer, going via Gloucester and almost all the way down to Bristol to get around the closure.

(Image: National Highways) The trip from Ross-on-Wye to Monmouth is less than 10 miles and usually takes around 15 minutes.

National Highways said: "This work will focus on installing safety barriers, temporary CCTV cameras and crossover locations, and will allow us to put in place a contraflow system in November.

"This means that the westbound carriageway will be reduced to one lane from 6am on the morning of October 31. A free recovery service will be in place during this time. 

"Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place for both HGV and long-distance traffic. 

"Please remember that closures can change at short notice."

National Highways explained "A rockfall in early 2024 raised concern about the long-term stability of the hillside and caused damage to the carriageway" and said it needs to carry out repair work to the hillside and rockface above the road.