Anger as lorries use Shropshire country lane
A country lane has become a "through-road" for heavy traffic following the start of major works, it has been claimed.
Resurfacing and drainage work along the B4555 has seen the main Highley to Bridgnorth road closed during the evening for three weeks.
Residents living in the nearby village of Billingsley have said large vehicles have been using Bynd Lane to get to Highley and ignoring diversion routes and signs banning HGVs drivers.
Mark Rochelle said that although the work on the B4555 had been welcomed, traffic issues were getting out of hand since its closure on March 17.
He said: "Whilst the roadworks please the surrounding community it also angers residents of Bynd Lane as we now have all traffic trying to get into Highley using the lane as a through-road and taking no notice of diversion signs nor the few 30mph signs.
"The lane is not suitable for HGVs nor the sheer amount of speeding traffic we have been witnessing since the works began. The lane is covered with severe and dangerous potholes that will only get worse.
"For this reason, and the fact as I have already complained about speeding motorists, could the council not close the lane?
"In my opinion and all residents down Bynd Lane it is a health and safety concern. It is a single track lane, not a road, and cannot stand this amount of traffic."
Alice Dilly, Principal Engineer for Environmental Maintenance at Shropshire Council, said the B4555 closure had been kept to a minimum and only during night-time hours to ensure commuter traffic could continue to use the road.
She said: "The intention has always been to minimise traffic and disruption to local residents.
"Bynd Lane is unsuitable for HGVs and has a mandatory 7.5 tonne weight restriction imposed on it already, as well as further advisory signage that it is unsuitable, on the sign assembly opposite the junction.
"If HGVs are using this as an alternative to the signed diversion route to travel through Bynd Lane, without accessing a premise on Bynd Lane itself, then they are not in compliance with the Traffic Regulation Order and it is a police matter.
"We are not able to close this lane as it is a public highway and has a right of access and is predominantly being used by local traffic that know this route already.
"We do appreciate the concerns but there is a good standard alternative signed diversion route, for evening traffic to use, and we would not close any minor route such as Bynd Lane in these circumstances."
