Work on historic Jiggers Bank reveals more deterioration than expected

Telford & Wrekin Council has shared an update on the progress of repairs to Jiggers Bank, one of the main roads into Ironbridge, which is currently closed to traffic as the local authority undertakes major repairs to the road's retaining wall.

The historical road was originally constructed as a single-lane tramway in the 1700s and then widened in the 1800s.

Now, the council has said that while site preparations have been completed, detailed inspections have revealed greater deterioration than anticipated.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s engineering team began working on-site at the end of September and has cleared the area for a temporary track where specialist machinery can manoeuvre.

Detailed inspections have revealed that the northern section had deteriorated more than anticipated, with further voids and collapsed areas identified. These are being repaired with further stabilisation work to make the structure safe for construction.

Operatives have been coating the wall with a 50mm thick layer of concrete sprayed onto the wall. Holes are also being cored in the wall ready for rock anchors to be inserted into the bedrock to stabilise the wall.

Councillor Lee Carter said: “We can finally see what we are really dealing with now the site has been cleared and the wall properly exposed.

“We always knew this would be a complex project with adjustments needed as we progress and unearth more sections of the structure.

“The position of the wall itself has presented challenges too as we’ve had to build a temporary ramp allowing heavy machinery and equipment to even get into the right position.

“It’s a positive start but are mindful that this project will undoubtedly throw some curveballs due to the area’s complex geology and site topography. That said we are still confident at this stage of delivering the project on time and on budget.”

The closure is expected to last around 26 weeks, with work aiming to be completed by April next year.

Regular updates will be available online at telford.gov.uk/jiggers