A488 to be surface dressed between Pontesbury and Hanwood

The A488 is to be surface dressed between Pontesbury and Hanwood this spring as part of Shropshire Council’s work to improve the county’s roads.

The work will be carried out in three stages, as follows. Work will be carried out from 9.30am to 4pm each day, with a road closure in place from 9.30am to 3pm.

• 2 April [2026]– road closure for stud removal
• 27 to 29 April – road closure for surface dressing
• 8 May, and 11 to 14 May – road closure for white lining

Prior to the surfacing work starting the road will also be closed overnight (8pm to 6am) from 16 to 18 April [2026] for patching work to prepare the road for the surface dressing.

While the road is closed a signed diversion will be in place, and access will be provided to residential properties and businesses within the work area when safe to do so.

To minimise disruption the surface dressing work will be carried out in two halves: from Hanwood to Lea Cross, and then from Lea Cross to Pontesford under a reduced closure,

Buses will be escorted through the closure when safe to do so – enabling bus services to continue running during the work – as will any HGV that hasn’t followed the diversion signs. Some delays may be experienced but these will be minimised as far as is practicable.

The closure will be lifted at 3pm each day to allow school access.

Advance warning signs will be in place at the closure points from 10 days prior to work starting. These are opposite St Thomas and St Ann’s Primary School in Hanwood, at Lea Cross, and at the Plealey junction. Countdown signs to the closures will also be deployed.

The road will have an initial sweep within 24 hours of the new surface being laid, with the sweeper returning after seven days to remove any residual loose chippings.

David Vasmer, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and environment, said:

“As well as improving and protecting our roads, this important programme of work plays a crucial role in helping to prevent potholes and other defects forming in the future. Pothole treatment is very much about prevention as well as cure and this is one important way that we can aim to prevent potholes forming next winter.”

Roger Evans, Shropshire Councillor for the area said:

“This part of the A488 has become more prone to the sudden appearance of potholes recently due to the time since it was last resurfaced. There is an urgent need to make it safer for all road users and pedestrians.

“After listening to my concerns and now receiving a number of assurances the timings of the road closures have been altered and work is now being carried out in two phases. Road closed signs will also show where the closure is. As a result I have now withdrawn my initial objections and look forward to the promised improvements.”

The work will be carried out by Kier on behalf of Shropshire Council.

The A488 is one of more than 70 stretches of road across Shropshire being treated this year as part of Shropshire Council’s surface dressing programme.

Surface dressing is a quick, efficient and cost-effective way of preventing potholes, maintaining skid-resistance and waterproofing road surfaces. It forms a major part of the council’s annual road maintenance programme and is being carried out alongside other preventative and reactive maintenance work.

Further information

During the work, access to the works area will be restricted to:

• Essential highway personnel
• Local residents who live within the road closure
• Businesses located within the closure
• Pedestrians, dismounted cyclists and equestrians
• Emergency vehicles
• Utility or public service vehicles when safe to do so

People are asked to ensure that vehicles are not parked on the road during the day whilst the work is in progress.

All planned roadworks are subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. Any changes will be displayed on the yellow advanced warning signs and on https://one.network/

Why use surface dressing?

•  To improve the skid resistance of the road surface.
• To seal the road against ingress of water, preventing potholes forming in winter.
• To extend the life of an existing surface and arrest deterioration of the surface.
•  Surface dressing is a preventative method of maintenance. The process does not reshape or increase the strength of the road