Are bridge traffic jams a taste of things to come?

12:00pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in News

TRAFFIC came to a standstill in Evesham this week as roadworks set up on Abbey Bridge caused major delays for frustrated motorists.

Drivers said it took about 35 minutes to travel less than a mile as four-way traffic lights at the junction between Cheltenham Road and Pershore Road caused a tailback into the town centre.

Former district councillor Martin King said the journey from Swan Lane to Burford Road, which normally takes five to 10 minutes, took nearly 40 minutes.

He also said he was concerned that this was a taste of what is to come when Abbey Bridge is closed to allow it to be rebuilt.

“The volume of traffic turning around was incredible,”

said Mr King.

“People travelling from Evesham train station to Hampton were forced to go via Fladbury and Cropthorne.

If this is a taste of what’s to come people will start shopping in Pershore when the work begins.

“The town might be open but it might be empty. We have just not been told anything.

Work happens and it kills the town stone dead.

Business owners have told me that their trade was flat.”

Severn Trent Water is working on the bridge and the project is not due to be completed until Wednesday, August 8.

Worcestershire county councillor John Smith, cabinet member with responsibility for highways and transport, said: “There is a major Severn Trent water main that runs over the Abbey Bridge and that has to be moved before work on the bridge begins.

“They had a four-way traffic signal in place. We have now instructed the contractors to do away with the four-way traffic signals and put in three-way signals.

“The more preparatory work done in advance the more smoothly the work should go later.”

Abbey Bridge will be closed for 10 weeks next summer and alternative routes for traffic during that period are still to be announced.

Comments(8)

evesham123 says...
8:03am Sun 8 Jul 12

why were people not informed about this in advance? answer - Worcestershire County Council has engaged in a deliberate policy of keeping people of Evesham in the dark and withholding information about the work on Abbey Bridge - if the contractors have been asked to put in place 3 way signals (not 4 way signals) - this begs the question why wasn't this done in the first place?

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asumabstainer says...
8:03pm Sun 8 Jul 12

I see the inmates are in charge of the asylum(read Highways dept)-I wont be going into town for a long while-sorry takeaways,my food will be cold by the time I get home over the bridge.

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asumabstainer says...
8:13pm Sun 8 Jul 12

I`m hoping the Journal will print photos of Town every week just in case I forget what it looks like! Only joking,I`ll look thro` the book of Evesham in black & white pictures back in the early 20th century,the amount of traffic should be about the same-hardly any if people decide to go elsewhere.

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Possibleprince says...
11:33am Tue 10 Jul 12

This is a joke!!! The council who no doubt the top chiefs get paid a fortune are responsible for this mess. When will they realise that the only way round this will be to reopen the Swan Lane, Bridge Street direction how it used to be back in the 90s. And they need to do this NOW! A summer of solid traffic is what everyone has to look forward to and I agree, this is going to kill businesses in the town. No one will want to come to Evesham with this going on and by the time all the works are done, there wont be anything at all left. The business coffins will all be lined up to their final resting place.

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aysum1 says...
9:10pm Tue 10 Jul 12

these works are being done well in advance of the bridge demolition why? would it not have been sensible to start 8 weeks or so before the demolition and then have the 2 way traffic in swan lane or better still swan lane one way down and oat street flow reversed to the high street with 2 way along mill bank for the full duration of severn trent and highways work in one hit.
You wonder how people get into positions of responsibility with no common sense at all and cause the general the public problems.

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Possibleprince says...
12:35pm Wed 11 Jul 12

Couldnt agree more Aysum

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aysum1 says...
4:53pm Wed 11 Jul 12

looks like another ideal opportunity for WCC cabinet member John Smith to get his picture in the journal yet again, but this time apologising to the local business community and residents for his departments short comings and lack of planning in this affair not bleating how well they think they do.

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imnemo says...
7:25pm Wed 11 Jul 12

The major traffic problems in Evesham, Hampton and the surrounding area and the damage they have caused to local traders, businesses and incovenience to commuters are not only the fault of any required bridge replacement but that of the total lack of any professional planning in WCC or coordination between them and the Highways Agency. This is what always happens when total amateurs are elevated beyond their capabilities in this who you know and not what you know society. If common sense had been applied then alternative traffic management measures would have already been put in place and tested prior to the actual work commencing thus minimising any disruption.

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