Shropshire Star

Shropshire road chaos fears over closures

Two major sets of roadworks along busy routes –  including one of the main routes linking Shropshire to the West Midlands – could cause traffic chaos for several weeks.

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Resurfacing work has begun on the A458 at Harley Bank, near Much Wenlock, and will last for two weeks. The project had already been delayed by more than four months due to contractual issues.

Diversions have been put in place around country lanes in the area. Both a councillor and a pub manager have said the work on the route – which is the main road between Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth – is essential.

One of the reasons cited for carrying out the work was the death of a 24-year-old man on the route about 18 months ago following a collision with a tanker.

It comes after officials at Severn Trent Water today unveiled £100,000 plans to repair a section of water pipes hit by bursts near Ludlow.

A stretch of Whitcliffe Road will be closed for two weeks from September 29, and residents were today being given the chance to see the plans in detail at a drop-in event at Wigmore Village Hall from 4pm to 7pm.

The work at Harley Bank started yesterday, and the road has been closed at Newtown Bank until September 14.

Diversion routes take drivers from Much Wenlock along the A4169 northbound to Buildwas, the B4380 westbound to the junction with Eaton Constantine and the B4380 southbound to the A458 at Cressage.

Lucy Price, manager of the Plume of Feathers pub in Harley, said it was the second time the pub had faced a road closure in two years.

She said: "We will not know how badly we'll be affected until we open but we hope the diversions won't be too bad."

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