Misery for motorists as Shropshire's A49 to be dug up after gas leak detected

Traders in Craven Arms are worried about a repeat of last year's traffic misery, when the town centre and the A49 through south Shropshire was brought to a halt by works at the same spot.

National Grid Gas said the latest works are an emergency so must be done – but after talks with Shropshire Council, it has now been agreed they will take place during the night next week, using a keyhole surgery-style technique.

Harry Delves, commercial director at Harry Tuffins supermarket next to where the works are set to take place, said he was disappointed the first he knew about the road in front of his store potentially closing was when he spotted three workman's vans in front of it on Thursday.

He said they told him they intended to put up a four-way traffic light system on the junction with the B4368 Corvedale Road, as had happened in November.

He said: "It's a critical problem on a major part of the transport network in the middle of the summer, coming up to a bank holiday – and there was no planning to it at all.

"We hadn't got a clue about this, no-one has told us anything.

"They haven't learned their lesson.

"If they close the road during the day it will affect the whole of south Shropshire."

In November, when the last roadworks came to the area, National Grid said it had gone through the usual channels, but traders said they had not been given enough notice. After a week of long delays to traffic the utility company said it would have to return to do more but would keep residents informed.

Jeanette Unsworth, speaking for National Grid, said the current work was not planned, but a response to an emergency.

She said it was only agreed yesterday afternoon that repairs could go ahead at night.

"We do have emergency powers – we have a leak and we cannot put public life at risk," she said.

"We have to put public safety first.

"We've got a gas escape on a three-inch diameter main.

"Workmen tried to repair it from the footpath originally, using normal techniques, but it turns out it goes under the road, so we will have to close it."

She said the leak was currently being monitored, but urgent action needed to be taken.

She said, however, the repairs should be quick, without having to dig up the entire carriageway, as workmen would be using innovative tools to conduct a kind of "keyhole surgery" on the pipes below.

"We are going a bit above and beyond in this case," she said. "We have arranged to work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights next week, but anticipate that we will find and fix the escape before the three nights are up."