Traders fear Ludlow will become a ghost town during A49 closure

Event organisers and shop owners fear that Ludlow will become a ghost town during a nine day closure of the A49 starting on Saturday.

There will be a full closure of the A49 to vehicles and cyclists for nine whole days starting on Saturday 1st July to Sunday 9th July.

The rail line will be closed all day on the weekends of 1st and 2nd July and then again between the 8th and 9th July with an hourly bus replacement. The closure is seen as a massive blow for local traders that rely on the summer months for a much-needed boost in income from visitors.

During the closure large vehicles, including HGVs and day tripping coaches, will be rerouted via Bridgnorth and Kidderminster from Shrewsbury, a route that takes much longer than straight down the A49.

Spokesperson for Ludlow Chamber of Commerce, Tish Dockerty says:

“Coaches arrive and their passengers often have less than an hour to get around our visitor attractions. They’ll have even less time or may not even make it if they get stuck in traffic. They’ll bypass us and go straight on down to Cardiff. We rely so much on the increased footfall during the summer months. The difference this closure will make to the atmosphere of the town could be very noticeable. The Ludlow Fringe Festival runs until the 2nd July and the annual Ludlow Green Festival takes place on the 9th July. We have several choral, theatre and film events booked during the closure period, as well as our regular market and tourist attractions.

“Event organisers and shop owners fear that Ludlow will become a ghost town during these weekends.

“The Chamber of Commerce would like to be consulted on road and rail closures. We would like to have the option of moving significant road closures to a less busy time of year.

“We want to get the message out that Ludlow is open for business and for visitors. There are local diversions around the A49 closure suitable for cars. Coming to Ludlow won’t mean you can’t get north to Church Stretton and Shrewsbury, or south to Hereford.

“We want people to come and enjoy our beautiful, friendly town this summer. They should allow a little more time for their journey because of the closures.”

Jeff Davies, route safety and asset management director for Network Rail Wales, said: “Onibury level crossing has been closed at short notice several times recently for essential maintenance, which has caused disruption for the local community and commuters.

“The level crossing is due to be closed at the beginning of July to allow engineers to completely renew the crossing and fully upgrade the track. This will help to prevent repeated closures in the future and allow us to continue operating a safe and reliable railway."