Work to repair historic route into Ironbridge 'on track' for Easter reopening

Telford & Wrekin Council has shared an update on the progress of repairs to Jiggers Bank, one of the main roads into Ironbridge, which is currently closed to traffic as the authority undertakes major repairs to the road's retaining wall.

The council has said the project is on track for completion this spring, despite uncovering greater deterioration than anticipated.

Since the project began last summer, more than 160 galvanised steel ground anchors, 300 tonnes of sprayed concrete and 500 square metres of steel reinforcement have been installed along 200 metres of retaining wall at the north end of Jiggers Bank.

The closure was expected to last around 26 weeks, with work aiming to be completed by April.

Despite encountering unforeseen deterioration of wall sections and the discovery of voids and fissures within the bedrock, the council says that "all engineering challenges have been well-managed at this stage with minimal impact on the target completion date".

The road was originally constructed as a single-lane tramway in the 1700s and then widened in the 1800s.

Councillor Lee Carter said: “We are reaching the final stretch of this project and so far, all risks have been managed well by our engineers and partners supporting the scheme. We anticipate hitting the target completion date as there is still a section to complete.

“As we approach the final stages of the project, we anticipate its completion and the reopening of the road around Easter. While challenges may still arise, we remain confident in our ability to address them and we will be in a more accurate position to confirm this officially by mid-March."

Previous and future updates to the project are available online at telford.gov.uk/jiggers.