A vital pedestrian underpass remains closed in Buckinghamshire.

St Mary’s Way subway in Chesham has been closed since the spring after it flooded, one of many incidents that have seen the underpass close due to flooding over the years.

Residents have criticised the Council for lack of action to repair the “vital piece of infrastructure for the town.”

Chesham resident Dorothy Geller said in July she felt the Council’s social media posts promoting sustainable travel like walking were “a waste of time” and “double standards” if infrastructure such as the underpass were out of use.

Buckinghamshire Council responded on September 6 after criticism over why the underpass had not been repaired before the start of the school term, saying surveys were being carried out in the wider area.

Bucks Free Press: The subway The subway (Image: Newsquest)

Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for transport Steven Broadbent said in the latest statement on September 28 after the Free Press had visited the site: “The underpass is closed for safety reasons but we will visit the site asap to check the barriers are correctly positioned. It is important that people do not use the underpass while is it closed and instead use one of the crossing points above ground, either above the underpass, or by using one of a number of safe, signalised crossings along St Mary’s Way that are in close proximity.

Bucks Free Press: One of the entrances to the underpass One of the entrances to the underpass (Image: Newsquest)

“Because the location keeps flooding we have closed the underpass until further notice while we investigate the root causes to try to find a long-term solution.”

When the Free Press visited the subway on Wednesday, September 27 there was no sign of work being carried out at the site. Some of the barriers appeared to have been slightly removed to allow for a space to walk through, while the underpass entrance nearest to Chesham Library only had two cones placed at the top of the underpass slip.

Crossing the A416 from Bellingdon Road to Chesham Library above the ground did not appear safe due to fast-flowing traffic on the road.