Repairs to start to Badger Heath Mill Pool retaining wall

The eastern access road to Badger will be closed to traffic at Badger Heath Mill Pool on Monday 10 October 2011 for up to nine weeks to enable essential repairs to be carried out to a roadside retaining wall. 

The work is required because the pool-side wall, which also supports the road, is in a poor condition.  It will involve temporarily draining the pool and building a new structural wall behind the existing one, which will also be repaired. 

The proposed work is programmed to start on Monday 26 September 2011 and for the first fortnight the road will remain open to traffic as normal. 

Unfortunately, to carry out the proposed work safely, it will be necessary to close the road to traffic for a period of up to nine weeks starting on Monday 10 October 2011. 

Provided that the weather is reasonable when the construction work is underway, it is estimated that the actual road closure will last for approximately eight weeks. 

When the road is closed, traffic will be diverted via Stableford, the B4176 road and the road to Burnhill Green. 

Access for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will remain available at Badger Heath Pool throughout the proposed work. 

When the work is underway, access for high vehicles to some properties located between Badger and the road closure will not be possible because of the presence of a low-headroom, privately-owned bridge over the road in Badger.  The headroom available at this bridge is 2.66 metres (8 foot 9 inches). 

Although the scheme is being managed by Shropshire Council, because the wall lies on the boundary between Shropshire and Staffordshire, the work is being funded jointly by Shropshire Council and Staffordshire County Council. 

Councillor Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for transport, said:

“It is appreciated that the proposed road closure will cause some inconvenience and every one involved in the work will do all that they reasonably can to reopen the road as soon as possible.  The timing of the proposed work has been chosen to avoid conflict with local agricultural activities.”