This is one of the most frustrating scheme of roadworks we have had in Ludlow. Coronation Avenue is one of the four main arteries into town and the most important. Its closure has led to unacceptable levels of traffic on Lower Corve Street (an access only road) and damage to the traffic calming.
Like many old towns, our history has a habit of catching up with us. This is most evident in the town centre where decaying services infrastructure is constantly causing disruptive roadworks. Coronation Avenue was built in 1953 to provide a second crossing over the Teme in north Ludlow to alleviate pressure on the historic Corve Bridge. It included the Burway Bridge, which was swept away by floods in June 2007 which was replaced with a permanent bridge in 2009. That bridge is just fine but the to soffit and deck of the original 1953 culvert over a flood channel of the Teme needed replacing.
That replacement has proved more complex than expected with the discovery of a disused cast iron gas duct at a lower level than expected. Now the road closure has been extended by two weeks to 18 September.
For such a disruptive scheme of works, I would have expected weekend and nighttime working. There has been none. Neither Shropshire Council nor its contractor, Keir, seem to recognise the need to get the works completed quickly and above all end them before the food festival on 12-14 September.
Along with the portfolio holder for highways, David Vasmer, I have asked for weekend working to speed up the work. Highways officers say that they have “requested that Kier explore the possibility of weekend working”.
I doubt that the work will be completed before the food festival. One of main car parks for the festival at the cricket club. As no pedestrian access will be available through the roadworks, festival goers will have to cross Corve Bridge and cross to walk down Lower Corve Street. That is not satisfactory. If the road must be closed, I will be pressing for improved signage. Ideally on Saturday, marshals should be in place to ensure that festival goers can cross to Lower Corve Street safely. I am also looking at other options to improve the experience of festival goers.
I will keep updating on this. It is one of the most damaging roadwork schemes to our town’s economy since I was elected 11 years ago. If the contractors had worked flat out, the work would be completed by now and Lower Corve Street could have been relieved by now.
Statement from Shropshire Council 1 August 2025
Works are ongoing at Corve Culvert. The final section of the concrete overslab is scheduled to be poured today, 29/08/2025.
Progress was delayed due to the discovery of a disused cast iron gas duct located lower than expected, which prevented the slab pour. This duct has now been removed, allowing works to proceed.
Once the slab is poured, there will be a 7-day curing period before surface works resume. The waterproofing layer will be applied and left to cure over the weekend of 06–07/09/2025. Carriageway and footway reinstatement will begin thereafter.
While topside works were paused, Kier has been active below the structure, breaking out spalled and delaminated concrete in preparation for mortar repairs starting week commencing 01/09/2025.
The works are expected to be completed, and the B4361 reopened, by 18/09/2025.
Please note: All dates are subject to change. Updates will be posted on yellow advanced warning signs and the One.Network website.
And no trains the weekend of the Food Festival either……
It’s a good job there are plenty of busses then.
There’s a perfectly legal public footpath for the able bodied beginning at a stile to the north of the works. It comes out at the right angled bend in the Linney . Festival goers would be able to climb the steps just before the next significant bend and then follow two narrow sections of road, passing the church to reach the Buttermarket. Not ideal but could ease the stress on Lower Corve Street which is currently being used as a rat run.
Such a shame that those who organised the work on Coronation Avenue chose to use a company named Keir???
Is there some sort of Shrewsbury conspiracy against Ludlow, I remember there being no train service during the food festival one year, I reported the matter to our then MP Philip Dunne but to no avail.
This seems to be typical of British industry today. Why can’t work be done to a time? Why can’t work be done at weekends? Why do workers spend time on their phones for private calls?
Jobs should be done to a price within a time with a penalty for over run.
As someone commented a month ago
If this was China the whole thing would have been done in 5 days. !!!
If the gas pipe was not in use why take up time digging it out of already laid concrete. Just fill it in.
This is a typical symptom of what is wrong with country now……no urgency and too much rubbish red tape to satisfy the pen pushers and keep them in a job which our taxes are no doubt paying for …together with their non contributory pension funds !!
Shropshire street works are a permitting authority, they can instruct that night works are undertaken , or the works are addressed over a seven period until completed. Another action that could have been implemented is that a faster curing concrete is used to reduce the time needed, as they do in London.