Victoria Viaduct: Carlisle road closed for 'months'

The road will be closed until further notice

A road in Carlisle could be closed for months after a nearby derelict building was found to have further deteriorated.

Central Plaza Hotel has been empty since 2004, and with no legal owner it is the city council's responsibility.

A recent inspection found that part of the Grade II-listed structure was unsafe and needs to be demolished.

As a result, Victoria Viaduct - which closed on Tuesday from James Street to Blackfriars Street - could remain shut for months.

The road, one of the main routes into Carlisle, was closed for almost two months in 2018 while work to make the building safe took place.

A spokeswoman for Carlisle City Council said: "Until further assessment of the building and a plan of action is agreed, we are unable to say how long the closures will be in place.

"However due to the extent of the damage and the scale of work required, this is likely to be months rather than weeks."

The Grade II-listed structure has been cloaked in scaffolding for years