Next phase of Shrewsbury station area improvements to begin on 27 March
The next phase of work to enhance and improve the Shrewsbury railway station gyratory area will begin on 27 March. This next stage of the work will last around six weeks and require the temporary closure of Cross Street between its junctions with Coton Hill and Castle Foregate.
Click here to see a map of the closure and diversion route.
Work will begin once the current work on the Chester Street/Smithfield Road junction is completed – with this work enabling Chester Street to become two-way from the bottom of Coton Hill to Smithfield Road.
The closure of Cross Street is required so that the existing footway can be repaved, and a new footway constructed on the southern side of the road, under the railway tunnel. It will also ensure the safety of the travelling public and the workforce, who would otherwise be working in an enclosed area and in close proximity to live traffic and to exhaust fumes.
By closing the road, the contractor can also focus attention on delivering this phase as quickly as possible, thereby mitigating, in part, the impact on the gyratory and the wider area.
During the closure a signed diversion will be in place and temporary traffic lights will be used to manage traffic at the Castle Foregate/Smithfield Road/Castle Gates junction.
Traffic from Ellesmere Road will be able to travel to Smithfield Road to turn left or right, without the need to drive directly past the Railway Station. Traffic heading southbound from St Michaels Street will still be able to drive past the Railway Station to access Castle Gates or Smithfield Road.
Northbound traffic (from Smithfield Road) that would ordinarily have turned left or right on to Castle Foregate at the end of Cross Street, should follow the diversion signs that will be in place.
Further information will be announced shortly about vehicular access to the railway station during the closure period.
During this next phase of work congestion is the area is likely. The site team and Shropshire Council will routinely monitor the impact of the work – which is a key component of the overall project – and consider/action mitigations where appropriate.
Shropshire Council thanks people for their patience and understanding whilst work is being carried out. Every effort will be made to complete the works promptly, and road users are asked to use alternative routes or modes of travel – or avoid the area – if at all possible.
The council will also continue to actively monitor and assess other planned work in Shrewsbury to keep main routes free from any further traffic lights or road closures if possible.
The ‘station quarter’ work – being carried out by local company McPhillips Ltd on behalf of Shropshire Council – is Government funded and is set to be completed by summer 2025.
