Is this our most dug up road?

The carriageway of Finger Road, Dawley, in Telford, is to be removed and replaced with a new Tarmacadam surface - the latest in a series of roadworks over the last few years.

Telford & Wrekin Council is now being urged to put the project on hold until a master plan for the street is worked out to give residents their own parking spaces and deter boy racers.

The latest row blew up after council contractors Fitzgerald sent out letters announcing that resurfacing would take place from August 28 to September 18. It means residents - most of whom have to park in the street - will not be able to park on the road or footpath between 9.30am and 4.30pm.

Councillor Vic Tonks and colleagues Adrian Williams and Helen Williams, who went to a meeting with residents, are now calling for the problems of Finger Road to be sorted out once and for all.

Councillor Tonks said: "Residents are hard done by. They have nowhere else to park other than the street and are often squeezed out by other vehicles."

Householders are calling for residents-only parking spaces protected by a concrete triangular shaped build-out.

They also want the removal of existing speed humps which they claim do nothing to stop speeding drivers who go on the wrong side of a pedestrian refuge on a daily basis.

Resident Anna Durnall said: "This has come just in time for the start of the school run and is bound to have an effect on punctuality for people trying to get to work.

"It will create a complete bottleneck and my worry is for emergency vehicles trying to deal with things like a chimney fire or heart attack."

Neighbour John Smith, a bus driver, said: "It's diabolical. This must be the most dug up road in Telford.

"We've been trying to sell our house for nine months and have just been getting interest in the last few weeks. I fear this new lot of roadworks will put people off."

Sarah Holtham, of The Sandwich Shop, said: "I've only been open for three weeks and this will hit my earnings."

Miss Holtham said she was also concerned about the smell and danger caused by two holes outside her shop, which had been dug two months ago to fix a gas leak and had still not been filled in.

Henry Crookshank, licensee of the nearby White Horse, said: "I believe they discovered a sewer was broken when they mended the gas leak and we are still waiting for the utility companies to complete the job." He added: "I would like to see flashing speed signs put up in the road to deter boy racers. The speed humps don't put them off at all."

Is your road worse and been dug up more than Finger Road? If so contact the Shropshire Star newsdesk on (01952) 242424 or e-mail [email protected]

Council reponse:

Telford & Wrekin Council insists it is trying to make life better for residents in Finger Road by repairing the lumpy road surface and pavements and carrying out measures to deter boy racers.

Council spokesman David Morgan said traffic management and road safety teams would be examining the complaints about parking problems and speeding drivers with police.

Resurfacing work also included Webb Crescent and New Road where the aim was to get the job done before the start of the autumn term as they were nearer to local schools, he said.

"The contractors will not start work on Finger Road until September 3 when Webb Crescent and New Road are finished. This will avoid any conflict between the two sets of works."

He added: "It is precisely because Finger Road has been dug up on various occasions that the work to restore the surface and footways is now necessary.

"Residents have been complaining about the condition of the footway and that is why we are doing the improvements.

"During the work, engineers will be looking to change the speed cushions.

"At this stage it is proposed to remove five speed cushions and replace them with two speed cushions either side of the central refuge by Bush Lane.

"This will deter driving on the wrong side of the central refuge."

Mr Morgan added that the borough council was not responsible for holes dug by utility companies for gas, water or electricity repairs.

By Peter Johnson