Council defends Shrewsbury Wyle Cop one-way closure

Wyle Cop was closed to drivers heading downhill for nine weeks starting from January 8. It will also be shut in both directions for five nights in February.

For the first 10 days, workers have been at the bottom of Wyle Cop outside the area by the Lion and Pheasant, while half of Wyle Cop was closed, with no construction workers on the site.

The council has defended the decision, saying the one-way closure is required for the safety of workers and pedestrians.

It has also said that temporary traffic lights would have caused "significant disruption" to traffic in both directions.

A spokesman for Shropshire Council said: "The one-way closure is required to maintain the health and safety of the construction workforce and for the safe passage of pedestrians past the construction site (within designated temporary walkways). This leaves insufficient road space to maintain two-way traffic flow.

"Previous experience has also shown that temporary traffic signals cause significant disruption to traffic both in and out of the town centre.

"Access has been maintained to business frontages and vehicular accesses throughout the works.

"The works are being undertaken in two phases."

In the daytime the footways are being upgraded, meaning some pavements are closed and temporary walkways are in place for pedestrians, while the night closures will allow for the road to be resurfaced.

The work is the latest stage of the Shrewsbury Integrated Transport Package – the £12 million scheme which has already seen major revamps of Meole Brace, Sutton Park and Reabrook roundabouts, Coleham Head and the English Bridge gyratory.

During phase one of the work, the northern side of the Cop – including the Nags Head, Tanners Wines and the NCP car park – is being re-paved, while the southern side will be upgraded during phase two.

The paving work is taking place during the day and means Wyle Cop is closed to all downhill traffic (heading towards English Bridge and Abbey Foregate).

Meanwhile the Cop will be closed in both directions for five nights from February 26 while the road is resurfaced.

The full closure will be in place from 8pm until 6pm and Beeches Lane (Town Walls) will also be shut.