A49 closed in Shropshire as work to rebuild Onibury level crossing gets underway
Work today started to replace worn out train tracks and road surfaces at a rail crossing in Shropshire.
The A49 is to be closed around the clock between Church Stretton and Ludlow until July 10 in order to completely rebuild Onibury level crossing,
Contractors for Network Rail moved on to the site in the early hours of this morning and work will continue until 6am on July 10.
The work has led to the closure of the A49 at Onibury and motorists wanting to travel between Shrewsbury and Ludlow face a 60-mile detour.
The level crossing is used by approximately 6,000 vehicles daily and vehicles approach the crossing at an angle which has caused a deterioration of the road surface and the formation of pot-holes.
A spokesman for Network Rail said: "We have explored all options that would deliver the best possible outcomes for road users. Due to the nature of our work on the crossing, we are unable to allow traffic to use the road at any time. We understand that closing the road for this length of time is inconvenient and we thank the local community and road users for bearing with us during this time.
"In the last six months, the surface of Onibury level crossing has failed numerous times resulting in emergency road closures to allow us to deliver remedial work. The temporary closure of the level crossing will allow us to completely renew the crossing and upgrade the track. This essential work will also significantly extend the life of the crossing and help prevent repeated closures in the future. "
The crossing will be totally closed over the two weekends as contractors will be working day and night. No trains between Shrewsbury and Hereford will be running. There will be a rail replacement bus service in operation to transport passengers between the two stations.
From Monday to Friday, trains will be running during the day so work will only take place during the night time.
During weekdays, there will be full pedestrian access across the level crossing. Over the two weekends, there will be no pedestrian access across the level crossing so Network Rail will provide a shuttle bus service from one side of the crossing to the other, between the hours of 7am and 11pm. There will also be a shuttle bus service from Onibury village to transport passengers to Craven Arms to link in with the 435 service bus throughout the work.
