A41 at Shakeford to remain closed until mid-August after lorry collided with house

The A41 at Shakeford is to remain closed until mid-August after a lorry collided with a house late on Tuesday.

The road is to remain closed whilst a large section of the property involved in the collision is demolished.

Due to the conservation of the building, the section of property which needs demolishing has to be taken down almost piece by piece while preserving as much of the materials as possible.

A demolition contractor is working on a complex programme of work which is scheduled to start on Monday 1st August following essential health and safety checks.

Once the building is down, the impact of the crash on the cellar of the property will be assessed as it appears that the cellar wall on the road side is bulging, which could imply damage to the road. This could result in reinforcement work being done to either the cellar or the road. The reinforcement work will need to be carried out before the road can be reopened, as the weight and pressure caused by opening a running lane for traffic, even under signals, could cause further damage.

The property owner's insurance company and the surveyor have informed Shropshire Council that the work will be done as quickly as possible but within the parameters of safety. Work will continue on the site after the road is reopened.

Shropshire Council today said the current timescale for the closure is for mid-August but as soon as traffic lights can be installed to replace the closure they will be; however until the condition of the cellar is known, the closure cannot be removed.

West Mercia Police is continuing to appeal for witnesses as they believe a second lorry was involved and failed to stop. Anyone with information is asked to call West Mercia Police on 101.