Anger over Bridgnorth roadworks which will cut off town

Shropshire Council will close St John's Street in Bridgnorth, the main through-road into Low Town, from Monday.

Further work will also see temporary lights and lane closures for a total of three weeks.

But the town's chamber of commerce said today that nobody in the town had been given any information about the closures.

The work will see three weeks of carriageway resurfacing in Cann Hall Road begin on Monday. The work will be undertaken by Ringway, Shropshire Council's contractor, and monitored by Mouchel, the council's consultants.

St John's Street will be closed for utility works and resurfacing from 9.30am to 3.30pm and 6pm to 11pm for four days from Monday.

Further lane closures will be in place throughout the three weeks controlled by temporary traffic lights and 'stop and go' boards.

Access to the Tesco petrol station in Low Town will be maintained at all times but diversions will be in place to enter Low Town during the works.

But Stephen Robbins, chairman of Bridgnorth's Chamber of Commerce, said no one had received any information.

He said: "It does not take a lot for trade to be badly hit and this sort of lack of communication is really frustrating.

"The council usually works about six months in advance so there's no reason for us not to have been consulted."

Mr Robbins said motorists had seen electronic signs on the Bandon Arms roundabout with "minor information" about the works but nothing further had been relayed to any traders or businesses. He said: "We did not know anything about it and the bottom line is we should have been informed.

"It seems like these are going to be some major road works and traders have not had any time to react."

Mr Robbins said traders were also worried about future resurfacing work on the Bridgnorth bypass, which he said could cause even more disruption.

Council spokesman Gareth Proffitt said: "Letters will be distributed to residents and business to inform them of the work."