Engineers are abseiling down steep limestone slopes to stabilize one of Britain’s most landslide-prone areas as part of a major highway project that could offer lessons for road operators worldwide facing similar geological challenges.

The A417 Missing Link scheme in Gloucestershire is navigating the Cotswolds escarpment, which has one of the highest inland concentrations of landslides in the UK. Following the excavation of two deep cuttings—up to 19 metres high and cut through dramatic Jurassic limestone—specialist rope-access technicians from GT Jones are now scaling the rock faces to clear loose material and repair structural faults.

The work is critical to preventing future weathering and slope instability on the 3.5-mile dual carriageway, which links the Brockworth bypass and Cowley roundabout.

“We’re applying specialist rope-access capability and equipment designed for operating safely on steep and unstable rock faces,” said Ed Jones, Commercial Manager at GT Jones. “By combining controlled descaling, targeted remediation, and engineered backfilling, we’re restoring the structural integrity of the limestone escarpment to deliver a long-term, resilient solution.”

The project, being delivered by contractor Kier for National Highways, is designed to blend the new road into the natural landscape. Once complete, the dual carriageway will be largely hidden from view by false embankments at Crickley Hill, while the deep rock cuttings will expose the unique geological foundations of the Cotswolds.

“Our work goes beyond simply building a new road—we’re helping to preserve and enhance the landscape,” said National Highways Senior Project Manager Celine Acard.

Environmental work is also progressing, with 17,000 trees already planted, alongside new hedgerows, woodland, and grasslands. Construction of an underbridge this year will enable a traffic switch early in 2026, allowing drivers to use a section of the new road.