Three-year wait for A road landslip repairs

The wait continues for repairs to be carried out three years after a landslip on a Shropshire A road, a councillor says.

Heavy rain damaged the A490 near Chirbury in February 2020, and Heather Kidd said "it's very dangerous".

Temporary lights and safety barriers have been installed, but she said repair plans were only submitted by consultants on Wednesday.

The council accepted parts of the study "could have been delivered quicker".

In a statement, Shropshire Council said its consultant, WSP, had been delayed in drawing up a plan because of difficulties in getting access to the land, time spent discussing options with contractors and the time spent understanding the physical constraints.

It also said the first solution put forward had to be rejected because of the costs involved.

An alternative solution is now being investigated and the council hopes a final feasibility study will be produced by the end of March.

Mrs Kidd, who represents Chirbury for the Liberal Democrats on the Tory-led authority, said she had been assured the road would be repaired within this financial year.

The council said it was unlikely work could be carried out before September and that it was more likely to happen towards the end of 2023 and early 2024.

"To take so long on an A road is beyond me,"Mrs Kidd said.

She complained "nobody seemed to want to address it" despite the timespan.

The heavy rain in 2020, which caused flooding elsewhere in the county, had taken down trees and worn away soil beneath the carriageway, Mrs Kidd said.

She said she was told the repairs, when they did happen, could close the road for 12 weeks, and she added that in the meantime, traffic lights were "pretty disruptive".

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