Ironically, progress has been hit by wet weather causing flooding – the very problem engineers have been trying to resolve.

Hunmanby parish councillor Karen Hubbard, who lives next to the level crossing, said Network Rail had worked through the last two
weekends, including overnight last Saturday by floodlight, to lift and replace the crossing mats, tracks, sleepers and hardcore.

It had also dug and laid a new drainage pipe intended to take water away from the level crossing. One of the consequences of the frequent flooding has been the lifting of grilles and mats, resulting in a
dangerously uneven road surface and at least one accident.

"The noise has been terrific," she said. "There was heavy machinery right through the night, so I had no sleep at all.

"They've had diggers, JCBs, tipper trucks, and large numbers of men working in shifts over both weekends, and the weather has been foul.

The first weekend they had over 10 vehicles just to transport the
workers."

Last Friday an emergency road closure was granted so the road could be closed from Saturday afternoon until early on Monday, although trains have not been affected.

Cllr Hubbard said the work appeared to have significantly improved the crossing, but only time would tell if the old problems
resurfaced.

A spokesman for the county council's highways department said they were still liaising with Network Rail to resolve some outstanding matters.

"They have not finished and have left a mess with mud, dirt and building debris around the crossing but they tell us they will be back next weekend to reinstate the tarmac and, we hope, to clean up! Again we shall see."