Ironbridge Road, Broseley to be closed 9 April-11 April for repairs to embankment

Ironbridge Road, Broseley, between Dark Lane and Coalport Road junctions, will be closed from 8am on Friday 9 April to 8pm on Sunday 11 April 2021, in order to carry out urgent interim carriageway repairs around the slipped section of road embankment.

Works will involve sealing the cracks with a cementitious grout, placement of large steel plates and additional surfacing material over the damaged length. Works will also include edge protection to the footpath.

While the road is closed, traffic will be diverted via Ironbridge, Much Wenlock and the B4376 road along a signed diversion. Access for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will remain available throughout the works, and access to frontages will be maintained at all times up to the slipped section of carriageway.

The work will be undertaken by the council’s term maintenance contractor Kier.

Gurnek Singh, Shropshire Council’s engineering services and bridges manager, said:-

“The proposed works are interim measures, but considered essential as council engineers have been monitoring additional tension cracking in the road surface since early January 2021. We are concerned that if they open up further we would be forced to close the road on the grounds of safety. A forced closure of Ironbridge Road, Broseley at this point would cause major traffic disruption to local residents, local businesses and tourists visiting the area and the surrounding heritage sites in Ironbridge. These works are therefore considered urgent to safeguard the structural integrity of the carriageway until the main remedial works can be programmed.

“The council is also expecting increased traffic levels from Monday 12 April 2021 as the Government’s third Lockdown restrictions ease, as part of Step 2 of their roadmap. HGV traffic levels are forecast to increase along Ironbridge Road due to a nearby local development which will be starting soon. Therefore it is imperative that Shropshire Council works collaboratively with its service provider partners and other key stakeholders, such as STW and Western Power Distribution (WPD), to ensure works are co-ordinated during the planned road closure.

We are also mindful of WPD undertaking major electricity infrastructure works along Madeley Road under a road closure, and these works are already increasing traffic levels in and around the Ironbridge area; and therefore, we have co-ordinated our works with the permitting teams at Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council to minimise impact on the local communities.”