Hopstone Road, near Bridgnorth, improvement work
Subject to obtaining a necessary road stopping-up order, Shropshire Council is proposing to start essential work on 2 September 2013 to improve the safety of the Wyken to Claverley road.
The proposed work, in front of 11 Hopstone, is necessary because the high sandstone rock face which currently supports the southern edge of the road is heavily weathered and beginning to crumble.
The proposed work will involve moving the road about a metre further away from the rock face, i.e. northwards.
Unfortunately, because of the limited width available at the site, the proposed work can only be carried out if a nearby slip road is downgraded to a footway, a process which can only be done if the council is successful in obtaining a formal vehicular traffic stopping-up order from the magistrate’s court.
The slip road in question is the higher of the two roads which currently connect the Wyken to Claverley road to the Hopstone to Rudge Heath road alongside Hopstone Cottage.
The council’s application for a stopping-up order is scheduled to be considered on 23 August 2013.
Subject to obtaining the necessary order, the proposed work is scheduled to start on 2 September 2013 and is estimated to last for up to six weeks.
In addition to the local realignment of the Wyken to Claverley road, the proposed work will also include improving the Hopstone end of the Rudge Heath road between the properties known as Hillcrest and Four Gates.
Unfortunately, to carry out the proposed work safely, it will be necessary to close the Wyken to Claverley road for the duration of the work. It will also be necessary to close the Hillcrest to Four Gates length of the Hopstone to Rudge Heath road to traffic for up to three weeks starting on 23 September 2013.
When the work is underway, it is proposed to divert traffic to and from both Hopstone and Claverley along the A454 and B4176 roads via Rudge Heath.
Access through the work for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will remain available at all times.
Claire Wild, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for highway and bridge maintenance, said:
“It is appreciated that the proposed work will cause some inconvenience. However, I hope people will understand that the work is necessary to ensure that the Wyken to Claverley road can continue to remain safely open to traffic in the long term.
“To enable the roads to be re-opened as soon as reasonably possible, the contractor will be working a six-day week, from Monday to Saturday.”
