A leading county councillor is urging Gloucestershire County Council to take “ownership” concerning ongoing roadworks fiasco in Nailsworth.
George Street was due to reopen this morning, Wednesday after nearly a month of disruption, but contractors for Gloucestershire Highways were forced to down tools last night after concrete laid by Wales & West Utilities started to crack.
Steve Robinson, County Councillor for Nailsworth fears their is no “end in sight”, he told Stroud Times: “An improvement to the road surface in George Street, which was only due to take two nights, has turned into a 21- day nightmare, with still no end in sight.”
Trade in the town has dropped off a cliff and this latest setback is a further blow, Cllr Robinson added: “I really feel for our traders in town, particularly those in George Street who are being badly affected by this extended road closure.
“When it all went ‘pear-shaped’ again last night, I emailed the Director of Highways asking him for someone to take ownership of the situation.”
A spokesperson for Gloucestershire County Council said: “Unfortunately, complications with the gas pipe repair meant works could not be completed last night. We are working with Wales and West Utilities to address this issue.
“We will keep residents and businesses in the area informed and let them know when we are in a position to progress the works.
“We appreciate the patience of the community as this is not something within the council’s control.”
Matthew Rees, Wales & West Utilities Operations Manager for Stroud, said: “We had been working in the George Road area of Nailsworth to repair a gas pipe following damage caused by third-party contractors resurfacing the road.
“We had previously filled the excavated area with foam concrete, which is the standard material for carriageways. Unfortunately, due to the nature of this specific road, the new surface has cracked, and we will need to replace it with a different mixture of concrete.
“We are now working to remove the old concrete and resurface this section of the road. To do this safely, we will need to keep the council’s road closure in place while we lay the new material and give it time to set.
“Barring any further unforeseen circumstances, we expect to hand the closure back over to Gloucestershire County Council so that they can complete their resurfacing work, this weekend.
“We’d like to thank local people for their patience while we worked to make the essential repair and apologise for the frustrations of the new road surface.”
