A49 roadworks: Lane closures and delays warning to Shropshire drivers

Councillors in south Shropshire are saying the roadworks on the A49 could have been planned better.

Contractors working for Highways England started work on the A49 in Church Stretton on Monday throughout the day.

This work includes planting to reduce the visible impact of the road for nearby residents and is taking place between 9am and 5pm until November 30.

It will take place under lane closure with temporary traffic lights.

It comes as more works were announced for the A49 including the same stretch of road overnight, which started on Monday night until January 20.

Contractors are working to install improved street lighting to the carriageway.

The works started on Monday between Dobbies Island, Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury, and the turning for Condover.

However this week, the road is closed to the village of Dorrington while resurfacing work is carried out. Then Kier, which has been appointed by Highways England to carry out the work, will use traffic lights to regulate the flow of vehicles.

From December 4, the road will be closed totally from 8pm to 6am and diversions will be in place.

There will be a local, non-HGV, diversion through surrounding villages while for other traffic, there will be a diversion along the A5 to the A458 to Much Wenlock, then on to the B4368 towards Craven Arms before finally turning back on to the A49 where the diversion will end

It is expected that the work will end by January 20 and that the roadworks will take place overnight during the week. However, there could be times when the work is necessary over the weekend.

Kier have said that the road will remain open until 10pm during late night Christmas shopping.

Residents living along the southbound length of the A49 are already facing delays due to work in Church Stretton and Leebotwood.

Members of the Facebook page ‘A49 local traffic news between Shrewsbury and Leominster’ expressed their dismay at the news. One resident said they will do their Christmas shopping online this year so they do not have to drive to Shrewsbury through the roadworks.

Another resident who works nightshifts was concerned that they would have to leave earlier ad return later.

Church Stretton’s mayor Michael Braid the roadworks could have been planned better.

He said: “The point is we want the roads doing but we don’t want to be discouraged by travelling the silly long distance routes they’ve proposed for the diversion.

“My thoughts are that the work needs doing. I don’t think it’s a particularly well planned sequence of events by having the two things running more or less at the same time but having said that there’s only one road that goes from Shrewsbury to Ludlow.

“If the road needs the repairs then the repairs have got to be done.

“Kier could have planned it better. The A49 is a lone road, there’s nothing to support it.

“When it’s done up there’s bound to be inconvenience. Looking positively at it, when they do this work there can’t possibly be any further work.”