Drivers face nine-mile detour misery

Motorists will be forced to make a nine-mile detour when a commuter route is closed for four days – to avoid a few yards of roadworks. The entire length of the A34 Walsall Road through Great Wyrley will be totally closed from Monday.

It is one of the main commuter links with the Black Country. Work will be carried out repairing drains underneath the road over a few yards' stretch. Residents will still be able to access the village but motorists looking to commute through Great Wyrley will have to endure a nine-mile diversion.

The closure will mean traffic being diverted onto the already busy A5 promising a nightmare drive to work for thousands of motorists. Highways bosses at Staffordshire County Council say they have no choice but to close the road and to put in place a diversion which avoids Great Wyrley.

The road will be closed at 172 Walsall Road, on Monday February 11 from approximately 7am until the work is finished on Thursday February 14, with a diversion in place at the Churchbridge islands in Bridgtown, Cannock.

Motorists from Cannock will have to travel along the A5, then the A452 Chester North Road and down the A4124 Lichfield Road until it rejoins the A34 in Walsall.

Jeremy Herbert, spokesman for Staffordshire Highways said: "We know this diversion is a long way but we have no choice. We cannot divert that amount of traffic through a village like Great Wyrley."

Mr Herbert said: "Ansa Utilities needs to make major drain repairs on a drain which unfortunately runs straight down the middle of the road.

"They have previously tried to do the work without digging up the road but that was unsuccessful so they are going to have to close the road."

He said the county council had negotiated with the company for the closure to take place during half-term to try and minimise disruption but motorists have been warned to allow extra time.

A spokesman for Ansa Utilities said: "We will carry out the work as quickly as possible to minimise disruption."