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Frustrated commuters left with A46 closure puzzle

Will Jefford
BBC News, West Midlands
Ushma Mistry
BBC CWR
HS2 Ltd An aerial view of a large section of construction work either side of the A46, with large cranes and many vehicles HS2 Ltd
A 14,500-tonne box structure, which will carry HS2 under the A46 Kenilworth Bypass, is being built next to the road

Commuters say they are trying to figure out how they will get to work when the A46 in Warwickshire closes for three weeks, with one telling the BBC she has "no idea" how she will juggle her commitments as both a parent and employee.

Amanpreet Chana uses the road on her daily commute from her home in Leamington Spa to her job as a teacher in Nuneaton and says she is "dreading" the closure that facilitates HS2 works.

The project will allow the installation of a 14,500-tonne box structure which is set to carry the rail line under the road, and while a date has yet to be announced, HS2 has indicated spring.

HS2 has thanked the public for their patience.

Separate weekend closures - set for this weekend and the following - are planned for preparatory work.

Ms Chana said she would use one of them as a trial run for the three-week period when she anticipated challenges.

Stephanie Taylor wearing black glasses with white rims and a black jumper
Stephanie Taylor said she would not be able to afford her commute to work during the closure

"Whatever way I go I think is just going to add so many extra minutes to my journey," she said.

"I have young children and I work in a school, so I don't know how I'm going to get home in time to take them to clubs and that kind of thing."

On both weekends, the road will close between Festival Island in Coventry and Thickthorn Island in Kenilworth from 20:00 GMT on Friday to 06:00 GMT the following Monday.

For other commuters there are questions of finances.

Stephanie Taylor, who lives in Leamington Spa, says the closure will affect her bus ride to the Jaguar Land Rover site in Whitley.

She said she had been quoted £35 for a one-way Uber journey.

"I have no other options," she said. "I don't drive, my partner doesn't drive. I just can't afford it."

She added she was now faced with dropping two afternoons of work because they would "not be worth the commute".

Vicki Lee, senior project manager for HS2, said the preliminary work would allow colleagues to "carry out important work directly on the carriageway that would be unsafe for our workforce to do during live traffic".

A National Highways spokesperson said the work had been organised to "avoid clashes with other works and minimise disruption as much as possible".

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