Collapsed sewer leads to traffic delays in Bath Road, Cheltenham
ONE of Cheltenham's busiest roads could be closed for two weeks after a sewer collapsed.
Workmen from Severn Trent have shut Bath Road at its junction with High Street.
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The junction of Bath Road and the High Street
It has caused traffic chaos as drivers attempted to find another way around the town's one-way system.
County councillor Klara Sudbury (All Saints, LD) was among those caught in the traffic jam.
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She warned motorists to avoid the area and find alternative routes.
She also called on Gloucestershire Highways to improve diversion signs to help keep the traffic flowing.
She said "The area has quickly become gridlocked.
"This is not surprising as it is such a busy road."
She said the traffic chaos raised concerns about the impact of the possible closure of Boots' Corner on the town's roads.
She said: "If the impact of closing Bath Road is this bad over a short-term period, the council must be absolutely certain that this sort of congestion will not happen around the town if Boots' Corner is closed to through traffic."
The spot on Bath Road was closed for seven weeks from the beginning of July as the firm tried to fix a blocked sewer pipe.
Bosses admitted they did not know if the latest problem was related to the previous work.
Traffic is currently being diverted either down College Road or along St James's Street.
Mrs Sudbury argued the signs need to be much clearer.
"If possible, people may find it easier to try to avoid driving in the area until the works are complete. It is in a very difficult place so it is nobody's fault that the road is closed, but people need to plan ahead," she said.
"We have been told the work will last for about two weeks."
Cheltenham resident Mark Willingale added his voice to the frustration.
"Traffic is awful," he said.
A spokeswoman for Severn Trent apologised for the inconvenience caused by the work.
She added: "The road has been closed since the middle of last week while we deal with a collapsed sewer.
"It is quite a complex repair, but we are working as quickly and as safely as we can to get the repairs completed as soon as possible.
"We understand closing the road is causing inconvenience for a lot of people, but it is important to get this problem resolved."
Comments
by Ms_Superstar
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 8:37PM
“Not strictly true. There are delays, but not in Bath Road because there's no traffic there. The work that was done there recently was rushed, I seem to remember, because of the pressure to re-open the road. In fact, wasn't the work left unfinished due to a technical problem? Well now both lanes are closed.
verysceptical, properly managing the closure of so-called Boots corner (that'll be the day!) won't make it any less closed. And keeping it open for buses means that even pedestrians won't benefit. Worst of both worlds. Perhaps Mrs Sudbury realises this. After all, she hasn't always been a Liberal Democrat.”
by Matt1006
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 2:50PM
“Well if the sewer has collapsed, they need to fix it. And as it's 4m below the road surface, it's a bit of a job to even expose the top of the sewer, never mind fix / replace it.
2 week road closure - we'll see. Given the recent history of works undertaken by Severn Trent (or more specifically, by their contractor Morgan Sindall) over-running - and causing further problems in the process - it will be a relief to all if the road is only closed for 2 weeks.”
by AW201Dresses
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 1:45PM
“Alfredo_ it's very simple - every time you start a new sentence you start a new paragraph! *tongue firmly in cheek* :-) To be fair the article makes sense though - you just have to work a bit harder in reading it.
Cheltenham's sewers are, to my knowledge, all largely Victorian (although I'm sure parts have been improved/replaced/expanded over the years). It takes a very specialist engineering expert to deal with this sort of thing so I won't criticise those involved but I hope they can find a solution that correctly balances getting the work done quickly, and getting it done right (and once and for all).”
by joner63
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 11:07AM
“seems to me thats the work carried out recently wasnt done correctly,still however im sure we the public wont find out as severn trent will probaly get away with a bodge job once again”
by Alfredo_
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 9:50AM
“Possibly one of the worst-written articles I've read for a long time. Could someone explain how to use paragraphs to the author, please?”
by TIMONLINE2010
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 8:30AM
“Good job Sainsburys isn't there yet!”
by verysceptical
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 8:08AM
“Does this Sudbury woman not realise that any changes to Boots corner would be managed properly unlike emergency roadworks.
Would she like to declare the axe she has to grind?”