A49 closed at Onibury as level crossing upgrade begins
Network Rail has today begun essential upgrade work at Onibury level crossing closing the A49 to traffic.
The level crossing closed at midnight and will remain closed until 6am on Monday 10 July.
During the closure large vehicles, including HGVs and coaches, will be rerouted via Bridgnorth and Kidderminster. Drivers in smaller vehicles will be able to find a local diversion.
To ensure pedestrians can still travel from one side of the crossing to the other throughout the work, on the weekends of 1-2 July and 8-9 July Network Rail will be providing a shuttle bus service between 7am and 11pm. Between Monday 3 July and Friday 7 July, there will be full access across the level crossing to pedestrians. There will also be a shuttle bus service from Onibury village to transport passengers to Craven Arms to link in with the 435 service bus throughout the work.
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.
“We were pleased to meet with so many local residents at our drop-in events about the closure and we have used their feedback to ensure that we are minimising disruption to the local communities.”
The road surface on Onibury level crossing has deteriorated and pot-holes have formed due to its location on the busy A49, where thousands of vehicles put pressure on the surface of the crossing every day. During the past six months, six emergency road closures have had to take place following damage to the surface of Onibury level crossing.
The temporary closure of the level crossing will allow Network Rail to completely renew the crossing and fully upgrade the track. The new level crossing panels will be made of black rubber instead of concrete. This means the surface will be more durable and smoother for road users when crossing.
Network Rail has worked with Highways England, Shropshire Council, Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council to put a diversionary route in place. This route will be fully signposted and maintained throughout the road closure.
The railway will be closed between Shrewsbury and Hereford on the weekends of 1-2 July and 8-9 July and a rail replacement bus service will be in operation.
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