Work to enhance Shifnal town centre nears completion
A £3.6m scheme to improve and enhance Shifnal town centre is nearing completion.
The work – being carried out by Shropshire Council and its contractor McPhillips – began on 6 September 2021. It will enhance the town’s existing infrastructure by improving – and in some areas reducing – traffic flow, and creating a more pedestrian-friendly area.
Recent weeks have seen a concerted effort by McPhillips to make sure that the Christmas lights switch-on event could be held on 26 November. As a result, the project is substantially complete, with street furniture and planters currently being installed through the scheme, and landscaping and planting underway.
As part of scheme resurfacing work has been carried out in October and November – with the old road surface taken out and replaced with a new tarmac surface, along with high-friction surfacing at junctions and new road markings.
Some elements of the scheme will now be completed in the new year, such as installation of hanging baskets and any outstanding street furniture. In addition, the project team will be renewing the path alongside the Co-op and extending the new paving outside Patons Garage, both of which were outside the original project scope.
Councillor Richard Marshall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said:
“We’re very pleased to be able to deliver these important works which will have a dramatic effect on the town centre environment, improving the public open space and making it far more pedestrian-friendly.
“Thank you to Shifnal Town Council for supporting the scheme and to the businesses and residents for their patience during construction.”
The site compound in the Aston Street car park is being demobilised and there will be a small site office retained for a return in 2023.
The £3.6m scheme has been fully funded by Shropshire Council highways funding, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funds and developers’ Section 106 contributions.
The S106 funded the junction improvements and redesigned highway layout in the town centre. CIL funding has been utilised to improve the town centre public realm.
Further information
Resurfacing and lining work
The first section of work – Market Place and Market Place/Victoria Road/Aston Street/Bradford Street junction – was carried during the nights of 19, 20 and 21 October
The second section of work – Bradford Street and Bradford Street/Shrewsbury Road/Broadway junction, including disabled bays at North end of Bradford Street – was carried out during the nights of 24 to 28 October.
The high-friction surfacing was carried out over the nights of 3, 4 and 8 November with one visit remaining scheduled for the night of 21 November.
Line marking was carried out on 10 and 11 November and completed throughout the scheme, and all new zebra crossings are now in use.
