A41 lorry crash: Work continues as Shropshire house to be demolished

More scaffolding and barriers containing warning signs have gone up around the house on the A41 at Shakeford, between Newport and Market Drayton.

Meanwhile, dirt and debris can still be seen on the road, which is set to remain closed until about mid-August while a large section of the property is demolished. Demolition work was due to start yesterday, but at 3pm the site was still deserted.

Work is being undertaken by the owner's insurance company, which is overseeing the operation to demolish a section of the property. Shropshire Council officials say because the house is a listed building it will take longer to take part of it down.

The lorry left the A41 and crashed into Fox House at about 11pm last Tuesday, and police believe a second lorry was involved, but did not stop. The house was being lovingly restored by a young couple who are believed to be from Cannock.

Businesses located near the site today spoke of the impacts the closure of the A41 between Newport and Tern Hill has had on them. Ian Edwards, operations manager at Edwards Transport near Hinstock, said: "It is not affecting us directly but indirectly it is.

"Some of the vehicles can't get here. Those approaching from the M54 are being diverted into Newport, which is already congested with the traffic light there. The vehicles are ending up at Tern Hill and drivers are phoning us up asking how can they get to us.

Mr Edwards believes re-opening the road and installing traffic lights by the crash site would help traffic and businesses. Shropshire Council said they will look to install traffic lights to replace the closure as soon as possible.

Maria Jones, spokeswoman for Shropshire Council, said due to the conservation of the building, it cannot just be demolished with a crane or bulldozer and has to be done almost piece by piece while preserving as much of the materials as possible.

"Once the building is down, the impact of the crash on the cellar will be assessed as it appears that the cellar wall on the road side is bulging, which could imply damage to the road.

"This could result in reinforcement work being done to either the cellar or the road. This reinforcement work will need to be carried out before the road can be reopened, as the weight and pressure caused by opening a running lane for traffic, even under signals, could cause further damage," she added. The driver of the lorry, a man in his 50s, sustained leg injuries, but nobody was in the house at the time of the crash.

The main diversion route from the north is directing traffic at Tern Hill island onto the A53 towards Hodnet, then onto the A442 into the Telford and Wrekin area, then onto the B5062 at Crudgington towards Newport, before re-joining the A41.