LIGHTS and single lane traffic "will be back" on A38 Copcut tomorrow morning, says a councillor, days after motorists, residents and business owners thought they'd seen the back of 'nightmare' delays.
County and District councillor for Droitwich Richard Morris tweeted this evening that highways bosses have told him traffic measures will be back in use from 6am on Tuesday.
On Friday, traffic signals, which had been in place since April, were taken down, as promised by the county council highways team, and it was understood both road lanes would be opened.
Speaking to the Worcester News tonight, the councillor said he's now been told, just days later, that temporary traffic lights and single lane traffic will be an "indefinite" feature, likely until Christmas.
"Highways undertook an assessment and concluded two lanes won't enable them to complete the work. There's meetings and assessments daily, I'm told.
“All the motivation of getting rid of [the measures], it didn’t seem it would suddenly come to this," he continued.
"I have said I am totally unhappy about it but they’ve said they’ve got to be always taking the traffic into account."
Cllr Morris said, despite the permanent lights, in place since April, being removed on Friday at 3.30pm, "I never held my breath".
“I just want to get the message out there for people who are going out tomorrow thinking it'll all be gone.”
Residents and businesses next to the busy A-road had breathed a sigh of relief on Friday after it was announced the permenant lights were coming down after months of work.
READ MORE: 'It has been a nightmare' A38 roadworks are finally going today
The lights first went up on a section of the busy road in Copcut back in April, and for months drivers have suffered long waits as traffic was held to allow only one side to pass through at a time.
Worcestershire County Council highways confirmed the signals would be removed on Friday afternoon.
Cllr Morris tweeted on the same day that he had been told by the highways team there "should not be any permenant traffic lights at the site again" but that there would be "some temporary traffic management at times".
And just days later it appears temporary measures will be back in place.
Alert A38 Copcut: I have just received a call from Highways that lights and single line traffic will be back 6am tomorrow @WorcsTravel @worcesternews @DroitStand pic.twitter.com/ItGUPI3HyJ
— Clr Richard J Morris (@richmoz1) November 11, 2019
Last week, Cllr Morris told the Worcester News he lived by this site and had seen the queues reaching back at least a mile from the Pulley Lane junction through Martin Hussingtree.
The work is being carried out by Redrow and Persimmon contractor MV Kelly, having been facilitated by the county council.
It is designed to improve the stretch of A-road and the junction, and needs to be completed before numerous empty properties at the Yew Tree Hill housing estate, off Pulley Lane, can be occupied.
Pulley Lane remains closed while work continues, and is not expected to reopen until early next year.
A spokesman for the Copcut Elm pub, which is right next to the roadworks, said: “It has been a nightmare at times, trade has been hit. It is good news, a relief for us.”
A Worcestershire County Council spokesman said last week: "We can confirm the current signals will be removed from the site.
"Further traffic management will be required in order to complete the scheme, this may involve the use of temporary traffic signals."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel