Roadworks on the A96 have ground to a halt following an evening of torrential downpours.
Contractors from Amey were tasked to resurface the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road between the Mulben Junction and Mewton of Forgie, north of Keith.
Workers lay the foundations, however an evening of heavy downpours has left the site looking like a quagmire.
In light of the conditions, contractors have been forced to extend the road closure to 6.30am on Wednesday May 1 as they dry out the site and lay suitable foundations.
The existing signed diversion is still in operation.
In a statement, posted on their website, they wrote: “Unfortunately, due to torrential downpours over the weekend, the foundation we have been installing for the A96 has become too saturated to allow us to lay asphalt on.
“As a result, we are not able to re-open the A96 at this location until such time as we can dry the site out and install a suitable foundation.
“The original works duration had to be extended after a problem was identified with a section of the sub base layer that caused the layer above to deteriorate under vehicle loading, resulting in an uneven surface on the carriageway.
“Further testing and investigation revealed deterioration was occurring widely across this section, meaning additional work was required to restore the integrity of the carriageway.
“Unfortunately, the severe wet weather conditions over the past weekend have exacerbated a problem with the sub base and we are unable to start building up the road layers until the issue is rectified.”
Contractors monitor forecast following torrential downpours
Bosses are monitoring the forecast, with an update on their progress expected to be released over the next 24 hours.
Works on the route commenced on Friday.
Motorists are being diverted along the A98 and the B9016 before re-joining the A96.
Returning to the site today, workers shared an image showing the extent of the damage to the site.
Cones have been buried beneath muddy water and stones, leaving the route impassable.