Council says utilities must take responsibility on roadworks schedules

The call comes after Severn Trent has given Telford & Wrekin Council one week’s notice that it has work that must go ahead on the M54 junction six roundabout at Ketley Dingle.

This work comes just weeks after the same junction was affected by major roadworks by the Highways Agency for bridge strengthening works which took many months to complete.

Severn Trent told Telford & Wrekin Council that it must start works at the Ketley Dingle motorway roundabout om Monday 19 May. While the roundabout is expected to remain open throughout these works, it will see one lane of the roundabout closed for around 14 weeks.

The water utility firm says the work is needed to upgrade water supply pipes which are located underneath the motorway bridge and to do this will need access to the inside of the roundabout, which for safety reasons will close the inside lane.

Severn Trent say that, given the condition of the pipes, there is potential for a major water leak which could result in loss of water supply to thousands of properties and water cascading onto the motorway causing a major traffic hazard.

Cllr Hilda Rhodes, cabinet member for transport, said: “I, like anyone who uses this roundabout, am left scratching my head as to why this work wasn’t scheduled by Severn Trent at the same time as the very lengthy bridge works that finished earlier this year, which they and their contractors were well aware.

“This isn’t something that has come out of the blue - if utility companies engage with councils properly works like this can be scheduled with a minimum of disruption.

“The result is that councils will get the blame for something that is totally out of our control and could have been very easily avoided, saving the public the inconvenience and the utility company considerable money.

“I will be contacting all utility companies to ask them to do everything they can to avoid a repeat of this situation.”