Roadworks misery for Oswestry drivers is blamed on council

Oswestry Councillor John Gareth Jones has hit out at highways officials as it emerges the town faces two months of delays and frustration because of roadworks being carried out or planned for some of the main routes.

Main roads into Oswestry last week caused headaches for motorists, with delays in Shrewsbury Road outside the soon-to-be-opened Lidl store, as well as a road closure at Whittington Road while resurfacing work had been carried out.

And the works outside Lidl look set to remain in place until early March, while one of the main residential routes and town gateways, Middleton Road, will be closed from February 28 through to March 10 for machine patching and associated works.

Councillor Jones has called on highways officials to "get their act together" and not allow for multiple routes in the town centre to be affected by roadworks.

Councillor Jones said: "The lack of communication between the utilities isn't good but the fault lies with Shropshire Council, they should be dictating to these firms whether they can carry out works or not.

"The other day it took me 40 minutes to get into town on the bus, only from my house in Whitefriars. That's just ridiculous.

"All the main approaches were closed off or disrupted in some way, nobody could get their heads around it.

"I've had no end of complaints about the roads this week and the end doesn't seem to be in sight. This is going to put people off coming into town."

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "A number of essential works are currently taking place within the Oswestry area, and Shropshire Council is doing all it can to minimise disruption and inconvenience caused by these works, through careful planning and programming, and through close liaison with developers and utilities companies."

He added although the council usually tries to avoid work clashing it's been "impossible" this time because of timescales and deadlines that have had to be met.

Other planned works include about four minor Severn Trent jobs with active traffic management, while Wales and West Gas are also planning to renew a gas main in Gobowen Road, but the dates are yet to be agreed.