Motorists ignore road closed signs and drive over ancient bridge being repaired
Drivers have been warned not to ignore a road closure in a Shropshire town, with one councillor saying his email inbox has been filled with complaints of people disobeying the rules.
Newport councillor Peter Scott has urged motorists using Chetwynd End despite the signs to cut out their actions or risk a potential accident and police action.
Chetwynd End is temporarily closed one way, while repair works are carried out on an ancient canal bridge. It has led to a restriction of traffic travelling northbound along the road from its junction with Water Lane to Green Lane.
The works are expected to be completed by the November 23 but some frustrated motorists have, Mr Scott says, been ignoring signs and driving through the road closure.
"There's no excuse for driving through," he said. "Not only are there signs saying 'road closed' but also CCTV is in operation.
"For the duration of the canal bridge repair you simply cannot and should not go north over the bridge. It is one way, south only.
"My inbox has been filled with complaints from residents reporting people are going the wrong way and not obeying the closure.
"I'd warn drivers there's a camera which shows the full road closure so the council can see who is going the wrong way and the camera can read the registration numbers.
"And any concerned residents or drivers who have any dash cam footage can also send it to Operation Snap and the police will follow it up if you have a timing of when people shot through.
"We just need people to simply follow the road closure. People just need to show good sense. Imagine driving through, resulting in a collision midway through?"
Mr Scott added that the work was necessary and closing the road one way as the 'lesser of all evils'.
"We have had people saying before 'When are they going to repair the canal bridge?' Now they are, drivers are saying: 'Why are you doing this?' It has to be done, so please obey it as it's only for a few weeks."
