THE emergency road closure shutting off part of Victoria Way will remain in place into the New Year.

An exclusion zone has been in place for more than a month since several exterior panels fell from the new Hilton Hotel development.

Two weeks ago, Woking Borough Council said a check of all the exterior panels of the building had been completed, as had “an initial investigation into the panel failure” by developer Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM).

Although SRM was said at the time to be “considering its findings”, neither the developer nor the council have yet given any explanation for the falling panels. Instead, WBC have announced a longer disruption to the daily journeys around that busy stretch of the town.

“Further remedial works are required to enable the safe opening of the adjacent section of Victoria Way to public traffic,” said WBC chief executive Julie Fisher. “We are disappointed to confirm that it is necessary to keep the road closed throughout the Christmas and New Year period.

“The council and SRM fully understand the disruption caused by the emergency closure and the knock-on effect it is having on people’s daily journeys. We collectively apologise for the ongoing inconvenience and thank everyone for their patience. A safe resolution is our main priority, and we are working with all parties on a daily basis to progress the works as quickly as possible.

“SRM is working closely with the highways authority, Surrey County Council, to ensure diversions are appropriately signed,” she added. “As and when we know more, we will provide an update as a matter of priority. In the meantime, the town centre remains open for business, and we have a fantastic festive offer this year.”