Worry bridge closures will cause isolation for Broseley residents
Fears have been raised that two major sets of roadworks could lead to traffic chaos for residents of a town near Telford.
Councillor Ian Pickles, the mayor of Broseley, said that with work on the B4373 starting this week, along with further repairs being carried out on two bridges next month, parts of the town could be cut off.
The Bridgnorth to Broseley road closed on Monday for 16 weeks as the National Grid began the second stage of repairing a gas pipe.
Essential repairs to two bridges which carry the Broseley to Coalport road are scheduled to start on August 27.
The National Grid has been carrying out work on the pipe beneath the B4373 since May, which supplies gas to more than 7,000 homes and businesses in Bridgnorth, and closed the road to through traffic on Monday.
Coalport Bridge, which crosses the River Severn by the Woodbridge Inn, and Sweyney Bridge, which crosses a disused railway line between Broseley and the Woodbridge Inn, will be closed after the August Bank Holiday for six weeks.
Repairs to Coalport Bridge will involve taking down and rebuilding most of the bridge's north-eastern wing wall, part of which collapsed during the winter.
Work to repair Sweyney Bridge will also start on August 27 and is expected to last for about 10 weeks.
The work was due to start on September 23 but Shropshire Council brought the closure forward to coincide with Coalport Bridge.
Town Councillor Ian Pickles said: "Quite a few people in Broseley head out towards Bridgnorth to work, especially to reach the A442.
"We're all hoping it goes well but when Coalport Bridge is also closed it will also become difficult to get out to places like Much Wenlock.
"We've leaflet-dropped people living locally to make sure they're aware because the flow of information has been a little bit slow.
"We're also concerned about how some of the school buses will get through and whether children will have to walk up the road, which could be quite a long walk.
"The B4373 will be closed until October and in three different places, but not with a full closure for the second stage of work.
"When the traffic opens one-way we are wondering how the school bus will get through."
John Williams, Shropshire Council's bridges and structures manager, said: "It is appreciated that the proposed work will cause some inconvenience, and everyone involved will do all that they can to complete the work as soon as reasonably possible.
"In an attempt to achieve this, the two schemes have been deliberately programmed to start at the same time."
