Shrewsbury A5 roadworks delay down to safety, say site bosses
The man overseeing the long over-running improvements to two major roundabouts today spoke of the difficulty of balancing speed of completion with the safety of motorists and workers.
Richard Vine, regional director of Lafarge Tarmac, which is transforming the Emstrey and Preston Boats islands on the A5 in Shrewsbury, said it was "not as simple as working faster".
He explained the predicament after Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, called for the contractors to "pull their fingers out" to finish the job which has caused months of delays.
The pair discussed the £8.4 million scheme which was scheduled to finish in December but has been doubly delayed until mid-March.
Mr Vine told the Shropshire Star: "We are committed to finishing the improvements in the most timely manner possible that will not impact on the safety of the passing public and our workforce, and that is our major concern."
He said he was aware of motorists' frustrations and he too hoped the work would be finished before the middle of March – but accelerating the scheme could put road users and his workforce at risk, he warned. He said unpredictable weather conditions were out of his control, meaning he could not make promises as to whether work would be completed any sooner than expected.
Mr Kawczynski said: "I have spoken to Richard Vine as I am very concerned about the delays. He has given me an assurance that following my intervention he is striving to complete the scheme earlier than the middle of March as previously stated."
