Traffic hits a new crumbling block

CRUMBLING . . . Ladcastle Road will be closed for wall repairs

TWO more Saddleworth roads are to be closed following complications replacing the borough’s retaining walls.

Two sections of Ladcastle Road will shut from Monday, September 13 for total of six-and-a-half months, as the £20 million scheme hits another stumbling block.

The council says that contractors are facing difficult challenges in replacing the borough’s crumbling walls, with trees and shrubs dislodging stonework and making them unstable.

The initial phase will see 230 metres of Ladcastle Road shut to traffic, close to the junction with Delph New Road in Dobcross, with the work thought to take three months. The second phase will mean a further 230 metre section of the road, south of the Mow Halls Lane junction, will also close for three-and-a-half months.

The scheme will also affect Greenbridge Road, Greenfield, connecting A669 Chew Valley Road with Oak View Road, with temporary traffic lights in place for 20 weeks from next Monday.

The council has warned that further temporary closures and diversions may also be necessary.

Last week, Grains Road, which connects Grains Bar and Delph village was closed for a month to allow the existing wall to be taken down and rebuilt. Councillor John McCann, cabinet member for environment and regeneration, said: “We have informed residents of our plans and have even made special arrangements, for example, to help a disabled lady to park and access her home at one of these sites.

“I apologise in advance for any inconvenience to residents and motorists but these works will deliver clear long-term benefits for all travelling on our roads and prevent future — and potentially far worse — problems which could cause more serious disruption.”