Shropshire village to be cut in half as railway crossing closes for 10 days
A Shropshire railway crossing will be closed for 10 days later this year, cutting a village in half and closing a major road to traffic.
The works planned by Network Rail at the Whittington Level Crossing will see the A495 closed to through traffic for the duration of the works.
They will take placed between August 30 and September 9. Access will be maintained for pedestrians through the crossing during the week but there will be a full closure to all at weekends.
Motorists will face diversions of up to five miles and bus operators say they will have to re-organise routes.
School buses will be among those affected.
Nick Culliford, operations manager of Tanat Valley Coaches said the company ran a twice a day school bus service for Marches school pupils which is also a public bus.
"It will be the first week back of the new school year for the students," he said.
"The route travels from Queens Head, into Whittington across the level crossing and onto Oswestry picking up children both sides of the crossing. It is a busy service."
In its notice of works Network Rail says that the scope of works is to renew the level crossing surfaces at various locations.
The existing crossing surface panels and cill beams will have to be removed and new ones installed and the road resurfaced.
The crossing foundations will have to be excavated and new concrete poured onto the crossing following by tarmac.
"It is a complete renewal of the level crossing. It will be closed continuously from August 30 to September 9. There will be no vehicle or pedestrian access during both weekends from 22:00 on the Friday until 07:30 on the Monday for the core works."
