Shropshire flooding: Key Shrewsbury roads back open but Bridgnorth still submerged as Ironbridge critical incident ends
The major flooding incident in Ironbridge has been stood down as water levels continue to drop - but many parts of Shropshire remain under water.
Seventeen red flood warnings remain in and around the county including in Shrewsbury, Ironbridge and Bridgnorth where most of the riverside area remains submerged. A severe warning remains further south on the River Severn in Bewdley.
It is the third year in a row the county has been hit by serious flooding, with politicians from across the political divide now urging the Government to find a permanent solution rather than relying on temporary barriers that only protect specific riverside areas.
In Shrewsbury the clean-up is well underway with many key roads in the town centre now back open including the two major bridges.
But both the town's bus station and the Raven Meadows multi-storey car park remain shut because of electrical problems. Longden Coleham is also still shut along with many nearby businesses while the area is cleaned.
The following roads in Shrewsbury have now reopened: English Bridge, Welsh Bridge, Castle Foregate, Coleham Head, Smithfield Road, Coton Hill, Chester Street/Cross Street and the B4380 Shrewsbury to Atcham.
People are still being urged to use park and ride to access the town centre.
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At Bridgnorth the following roads are still shut: Southwell Riverside, Severnside South Road and The Boat Yard, Doctors Lane, Severn Terrace, the Quayside and Riverside and Friars Street.
The A442 is also still closed from Telford to Bridgnorth and between the Sutton Maddock and Bandon Arms roundabouts.
Several roads remained closed in Ironbridge but the critical situation has been downgraded after the river peaked just below the top of the flood barriers late on Tuesday.
Upstream of Shrewsbury many minor roads are still underwater, particularly in the Melverley area where the Severn and Vyrnwy Rivers converge.
Travellers are also experiencing major problems on the trains from Shrewsbury to Newtown after the water swept away large sections of the railway bed near Welshpool.
But the line between Shrewsbury and Hereford has reopened after a landslip near Craven Arms closed it on Wednesday.
Chair of the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin’s Tactical Co-Ordination Group, Chief Inspector Mark Reilly, said: “We have now seen the levels of the River Severn peak in all areas across the county and are starting to see the water levels subsiding, we have reviewed the risk and as a result have now stood down the major incident status.
“However, there has been significant flooding across the county which has had considerable consequence’s for local residents and businesses and we will continue to provide a multi-agency response, working together with partners to support our local communities.
“As the flooding subsides, it will take time to check roads for damage and for debris to be cleared and I would ask people to bear with us as we do this. Please do not drive through flood water and please observe road closures, they are in place for a reason because the road is impassable and you are risking your safety by driving through them.”
