Busy A49 route through Shropshire to close for two days

The A49, which acts the region's main artery between Shrewsbury and Hereford, will be closed for a full weekend at Onibury, south of Craven Arms, from 8pm on Friday until 6am on Monday.

Meanwhile, Highways Agency bosses have reiterated that major works on the A5 at Emstrey and Preston Boats islands on the edge of Shrewsbury should come to an end in mid-March, depending on the weather.

Richard Vine, regional director of Lafarge Tarmac, which is carrying out the work, said he hoped it would be completed before that date, but could not promise anything due to unpredictable weather conditions.

During the A49 closure diversions will take traffic from the road down B roads around the area where the work is being carried out.

The Highways Agency said the damage to the bridge was from simple wear and tear and the repairs were "routine maintenance".

The road has had regular night closures for resurfacing over the past two months, between Bromfield, near Ludlow, and Craven Arms

The stretch also had £77,000 of pavement renewal work carried out in October and November. But this time the closure will see traffic affected throughout the day on both Saturday and Sunday as workers repair concrete at the road bridge over the River Onny next to Onibury level crossing.

During the work, traffic travelling from the north will be diverted at Craven Arms along the B4368 Clun Road and B4365 to Bromfield, which branch out from either side of the trunk road. Traffic from the south will be diverted along the same roads just north of Ludlow.

Highways Agency project manager Jess Kenny said: "Repairing the bridge structure and road surface is essential maintenance work requiring closure of the road to carry it out. We advise people to allow extra time for their journeys."

David Evans, Shropshire councillor for Craven Arms and Church Stretton, said he understood the full closure had to take place due to health and safety issues.

He added: "It is a difficult one as there is no other way of doing the repairs, it's something we just have to accept. But I am concerned about how it might affect local businesses.

"Doing it on a weekend should mean there will be lighter vehicles on the road rather than big lorries, but I would still urge drivers to err on the side of caution as these are much narrower roads they will be going down."