A49 'nightmare' roadworks spell traffic chaos as talks continue to ease disruption
A 10-day closure of one of Shropshire's busiest trunk roads will be a "nightmare" – but there is no getting around it, motorists were told today.
Talks are ongoing over the planned full closure of the A49 between Ludlow and Craven Arms at the start of July.
The road is to be closed around the clock from July 1 to 10 in order to completely rebuild Onibury level crossing, but a suggested 60-mile diversion, directing traffic between Shrewsbury and Hereford via Bridgnorth and Kidderminster, has caused an outcry.
Onibury Parish Council will be holding a special meeting to discuss the matter on Wednesday.
Councillor Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council's new portfolio-holder for highways, said he shared concerns over the work and meetings were ongoing with Network Rail and Highways England – as well as a consultation over the diversion.
He said at a meeting this week he asked Network Rail why the work had to take so long and why teams could not be working around the clock.
But, he said, the railway line needed to be taken up and could only be closed to rail traffic at certain points – and in any case so much concrete had to be put down that it would take days to set, and work could not progress until it had.
"The big concern is the route where everyone has to go around it," he said.
"Sometimes they can get permission to build a temporary road around the works, through a neighbouring field maybe, but the problem is that the river is in the way."
He said the diversion situation was still under consultation. But the level crossing was rated as one of the worst for having failures and needing repairs in the country, and simply could not be patched up any more, he said.
"It is going to be a nightmare for buses, school children and emergency service vehicles but if this doesn't happen there could be a disaster on the railway – it is that bad," he said.
He said he had also asked Network Rail to attend the Onibury Parish Council meeting.
"It's my view as a portfolio holder that we need to keep all our partners informed of what we are doing so that town and parish councils have the knowledge of anything going on," he said.
Tony Mantle, chairman of Onibury Parish Council, said: "There will be an additional meeting of Onibury Parish Council on Wednesday starting at 5.30pm at the village hall.
"The meeting is to discuss the impending closure of the A49 and level crossing.
"Representatives of Shropshire Council, Network Rail and Highways England are being invited to attend," he said.
The A49 is also currently having night time closures for resurfacing south of Ludlow, around Woofferton, from 10pm to 6a m weekdays, which will continue until July 21.
