Roadwork misery to run over

Major roadworks on the main road through a Staffordshire village have been delayed meaning it will stay closed for longer than planned.

The hold-up is due to a different type of concrete being used which takes longer to set.

Work on the A34 Walsall Road in Great Wyrley, which prompted a nine-mile diversion for commuters, was due to end today but will now not be finished until tomorrow. It started on Monday on just a few yards of the major commuter route linking Staffordshire and the Black Country.

The concrete now being used to refill the hole dug for a drain to be repaired reduces the risk of having to return at a future date.

Residents were initially told the works would take four days but then the finish date was put back until today. Now the road block should be moved tomorrow lunchtime.

Jeremy Herbert, of Staffordshire County Council's highways department, said: "The drain company was going to fill the hole back up with conventional materials but has now decided to spend more money on expensive foam concrete which expands when put in the hole and takes 24 hours to set."

He added: "With the conventional method there's a chance of subsidence and therefore a chance we would have to go back and fix it which is something we were worried about."

The work has seen a small section of the main road closed near Hartwell Lane.

But it sparked concern from motorists when a nine-mile diversion was put in place via the A5 to avoid putting traffic onto local roads.

However, many drivers have decided to ignore the suggested diversion and instead find their own way through the village.