Roadworks bring town to standstill
Saturday 17th January 2009, 12:20PM GMT.
Roadworks that brought Oswestry town centre to a standstill are likely to last until next week, gas firm managers said today.
The work in Salop Road infuriated traders and brought chaos to the town yesterday.
The jam lasted most of the day and caused tailbacks all the way back in to Black Gate Street and down Oswald Road.
Traffic on the mini-roundabout at Sainsbury’s in Black Gate Street was brought to a halt when the chaos was at its worst.
The work is being carried out by gas firm Wales & West Utilities to install a new gas service to a building.
Sainsbury’s store manager Peter Briggs said: “It has been absolute chaos and it has really affected our trade. I can’t say how much, but the basic problem was people could not get to the store. Those who were able to get in were jammed in our car park for a long time as they tried to get out.”
The store’s duty manager John Ruth said he had called the police to see if there was anything they could do to help traffic movement.
Nigel Passant, proprietor of Cartridge World in Salop Road, said: “I did the school run at 3pm and the whole town seemed to come to a standstill.”
Gwyn Thomas, a spokesman for Wales & West Utilities, said: “We anticipate that the work will be completed during the early part of next week at which time the traffic lights will be removed.”
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