A54 Cat & Fiddle Road closure
The A54 Macclesfield Main Road, also known as the Cat and Fiddle, will be closed for 14 weeks starting in late July for Derbyshire County Council to make major improvements to the 2.8km stretch of road – from its junction with the Leek Road (A53) to its junction with the A537 at the county border. From Monday 27th July 2026, the road will be closed to allow for improvement works to take place. It is set to reopen on Friday 30th October 2026, and will then close again for 12 weeks from spring 2027.
The road improvements will be split into 2 phases:
- Phase 1: Monday, 27th July 2026 until Friday, 30th October 2026 to complete major works before the start of the Winter.
- Phase 2: from Spring 2027 for approximately 12 weeks
Together the 2 phases will improve the road surface, drainage and road safety and also strengthen the earth banks along the route to prevent them from collapsing across the surface of the road.
Full road closure during both phases of works
The A54 Cat & Fiddle road closure involves extensive works, needing major excavations across the full width of the road and the use of large equipment and machinery, the A54 Macclesfield Main Road will be closed to all traffic during both construction phases.
The closure is needed for the safety of the public and our contractor. Access will be maintained for properties and businesses only on the route.
Public transport – changes to the 58 bus
The temporary road closure will affect the High Peak Buses 58 bus service between Buxton and Macclesfield. A temporary bus timetable will take effect from 25th July until 30th October.
👉CLICK HERE TO SEE THE REVISED 58 BUS TIMETABLE
To maintain a service between Buxton and Macclesfield the bus will divert via Long Hill, Kettleshulme and Rainow with most journeys continuing beyond Macclesfield Bus Station to maintain a service to the Black Road area.
Due to the length of this diversion it is not possible for the 58 to maintain service provision to the Burbage area of Buxton during the period of the road closure.
Ground surveys and investigations to identify repair solutions
Derbyshire County Council said:
“We undertook major ground investigations during May 2026 to help us understand more about the challenges of the A54 route.
The route is cut into the hillside with steep sided earth banks next to the road. Over time, the banks have started to collapse onto the road due to more extreme weather conditions and inadequate drainage.
During our site investigations, we drilled into the banks next to the road to learn more about the soil and ground below.
We also collected data about the type of soil and depth of rock. This will guide how we strengthen and reinforce the earth banks along the route as part of the phase 2 works.
In addition to the improvements identified during the investigation, we also intend to develop a new and improved road drainage system to help reduce surface water issues and improve road safety as part of phase 1 of our improvements.”
The work in detail
Phase 1 works: 14-week full road closure
The aim of the first phase of works is to focus on road and drainage improvements ahead of the challenging winter weather conditions.
🗓️ 27th July 2026 until 30th October 2026
The works include:
- resurfacing the road between the junction with the A537 at the county border, and where the hill known as ‘The Terret’ meets the road (see the map attached to this page)
- installing a new drainage system to make sure rainwater drains away from the road surface to minimise surface water flooding
During cold wintry weather, rainwater can freeze on the road surface, causing potholes to form in any cracks.
By improving the drainage, we can reduce the risk of frost damage, maximising the lifespan of the new road surface by:
- laying high friction surfacing at bends for increased skid resistance, to improve vehicle braking and and road safety
- making pavement repairs
- upgrading the road signs along the route to alert drivers, helping to improve visibility, particularly in poor weather conditions. Works will include erecting new black and white chevron boards, cat’s eyes and marker posts to illuminate bends, as well as speed limit and warning signs
Phase 2 works
The second phase of improvements will start following the wintry weather, likely to be from April 2027, and will include:
🗓️ From Spring 2027, for approximately 12 weeks
- reinforcing the earth banks to make them more stable and less likely to collapse. This will reduce the risk of falling debris or loose rock falling on to the road
- installation of new and repairs to existing safety barriers and bike guards
- completion of the remaining road resurfacing improvements from the junction with the A53 Leek Road and where the hill known as “The Terret” meets the road (see the map attached to this page)
- replacement of existing drainage culverts, the structures and channels that carry water beneath the road, to reduce surface water collecting on the A54
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