A road in Gwent will not reopen as planned this weekend due to "safety issues" following a dangerous rock fall.
Part of the A466 St Arvans and Tintern was shut last month by Monmouthshire County Council in order to carry out essential safety works on the rock which faces the roadside.
The council said the work to "protect road users from dangerous rock fall" would require a full closure of the road for four weeks, and it was due to reopen in time for the Bank Holiday weekend.
However, Monmouthshire County Council has confirmed the road will now stay closed until around June 11 after a "potentially dangerous rockfall" on the site while work was being carried out.
It said the steepness of the rockface means that falling rocks might breach concrete safety panels along the road. Additional rock has had to be removed where weaknesses have been exposed. Netting is now being installed to control rocks and debris that come loose and protect road users' safety.
A spokesperson said it understood "the disappointment and frustration this will cause among residents and businesses" in the area, but added that making the road safe in the long-term was its "immediate and ongoing priority."
A spokesperson for Monmouthshire County Council said: "This decision has not been taken lightly and we appreciate the disappointment and frustration this will cause among residents and businesses in Tintern and the surrounding area. However, the need to protect the safety of motorists and cyclists is paramount. Our immediate and ongoing priority remains to make the A466 safe, not just in the short term, but longer term.
"We’ll be discussing the matter further with the contractors later this week but at this stage we hope to reopen the A466 by June 11. We’ll provide a further update at the end of this week."
Tintern’s businesses are still open and accessible via the signposted diversion route. Drivers are asked to follow the diversion signs and not rely on a satnav, as many of the local lanes are very narrow with limited opportunities for vehicles to pass. Cyclists will still be able to dismount and use the A466 during the closure.
