Council's misleading X post causes road confusion
BBCRoad users have been left confused after a social media post stated the wrong time for the reopening of a key road, following water main repairs.
Drivers reported chaos in Gloucester after the A417 Over Causeway shut outbound at 19:00 BST on Friday between Alney Island and Over Roundabout, leaving the city gridlocked at the weekend.
The road was reopened on Tuesday, at 19:00 BST, after Severn Trent Water completed the repairs, despite a post on X from the Gloucestershire County Council Highways team which said it would reopen at 17:00 BST.
Dan Hill, from Severn Trent, said that "19:00 BST was the earliest time they could get the repairs done" and he apologised for any inconvenience caused.
The Gloucestershire County Council highways team has been approached for comment.
BBC Radio Gloucestershire listeners emailed in their complaints over the promised reopening time posted on social media.
Mr Hill said he was "not sure" about the post from the council.
"Something that we've been keen not to do with this is overpromise," he said.
"No-one likes being caught up in this kind of disruption. Our team certainly don't.
"Our aim is always to get everything done as quickly and as safely as we can."
Steve Husbands, who runs a furniture business on Westgate Island, said it was a "waste of time" opening over the weekend.
"It was a gamble," he said.
"If you're not open you're thinking we could have done something but if you stay open and you haven't done anything - that's just the way it is, isn't it?"
Severn Trent Water has since set up a business loss compensation scheme for people who believed they had lost trade during the roadworks.
Mr Husbands said it would be "fantastic" if he could get compensation for the money he had lost but he said he had reservations as to whether it would actually happen.
"Let's wait and see what happens," he said.
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