Shropshire Star

Months of road closures for Ironbridge as £3 million refurbishment set to begin

Motorists in Ironbridge face several months of road closures as £3 million of refurbishment work gets under way.

Published
Last updated

Severn Trent Water is investing the money in the Gorge and Broseley area and will be refurbishing the Sewage Pumping Station on the south bank of the River Severn in Ironbridge.

The company will also be installing a 300mm rising main, to enable flows to be diverted from the North Bank Sewage Pumping station and bypass the Southern Bank Sewage Pumping station to enable future maintenance.

This essential work requires a number of road and path closures on both sides of the river. There will be a drop-in session to find out more on September 17 at Coalport Village Hall, between 4pm and 7pm.

See also:

Work will begin on September 9 to set up a work compound on the coach parking bays in Station Yard car park, and to clear some vegetation around the pumping stations.

The first road closure will be along Waterloo Street beginning on September 30, which will last into early November. Access for residents and businesses will be maintained including residents’ use of Waterloo Street car park, but there will be no through traffic.

Inconvenience

Later in the year, once Waterloo Street Is reopened, work will move to Ironbridge Road, between Lloyd’s Head and Ladywood, with that road closed for a few more weeks. The Severn Valley Way cycle track will also be closed during the works.

Letters will be sent to affected residents and businesses shortly.

Councillor Carolyn Healy, ward member for Ironbridge Gorge ward said: “I know the road closures will cause a great inconvenience to many residents and businesses on both sides of the River Severn, but this is essential work to ensure the sewage system in the area is fit for purpose.

"Initially Severn Trent Water wanted to start work earlier in the year meaning the road closures would be in place during the Festival of Imagination, this year’s World Heritage celebrations, when we expect large numbers of visitors.

"We renegotiated the start date with Severn Trent Water but unfortunately there is no time of year that would not cause major disruption.”

Bus routes are also affected and Arriva will be revising its timetables as a result.

Nicola Lowery, who was councillor for the area when it was originally set to go ahead, said: "“I would like to again thank Severn Trent for their understanding and cooperation in seeking to minimise the impact to our local community as a result of the essential maintenance they need to carry out on their sewer network by agreeing to delay the start date for these works."