'Miscalculation' of Shrewsbury gas mains to see temporary traffic lights installed at traffic roundabout

Last month, Cadent Gas began gas main replacement work on Longden Road and Roman Road in Shrewsbury, impacting all approaches to Longden Road roundabout.

It’s part of a 30-year programme imposed by their regulator to upgrade and modernise the ageing gas network across the country and help reduce leaks.

While Shropshire Council said work is "progressing well" - a slight hiccup has meant temporary traffic lights will now be installed on the roundabout. 

A spokesperson for the council said: "Cadent have informed us that they have unfortunately miscalculated the location of the gas main on Roman Road and will not now – as originally planned – be able to inset the new pipe across Roman Road by digging in the verge next to the roundabout.

"Cadent have undertaken camera surveys this week by entering the excavated pits on Longden Road/Roman Road and they have now established that the line of the gas main is within the carriageway and not in the verge.

"To safely excavate the carriageway and insert the new pipe across Roman Road, temporary traffic lights will have to be installed on the roundabout. 

"The use of lights will ensure the section of main on Roman Road is still replaced within the remaining time left over the school holidays, and avoid causing further disruption at a later date."

The lights are due to be installed on the roundabout on Saturday, August 9 and will be in place until Saturday, August 17.

Providing there are no more unforeseen issues, the lights and both one-way closures off Longden Road will be removed at the same time.

Shropshire Council say they have asked Cadent to employ a traffic management operative on site between 7am and 7pm each day to manually control the temporary lights, and "have stressed that works on the roundabout must be completed as quickly as possible".