Shropshire Council, together with Alliance partners Kier and WSP, are planning to carry out work along the A488, Hope Valley to resolve a number of landslip issues. A full road closure will be required.
The A488 at Hope Valley has experienced slope stabilisation problems with slopes on three sections of the road slipping towards the river. Currently there are three sets of temporary traffic lights in place for the safety of the travelling public, and to ensure that the road remains passable.
Full works are planned for four to six weeks from June / July.
Next steps
Stage 1: 31 March - 4 April
The A488 will be closed between 9:30am and 4pm from Monday 31 March to Friday 4 April with no access for through traffic. Access will be maintained for residents to travel to and from their premises as required.
Shropshire Highways will be delivering the required work, and during this closure there will be advanced works to clear vegetation and remove trees where necessary (under the supervision of ecologists due to the bird nesting season, who will ensure all relevant checks are carried out). The works will consist of detailed assessments of the highway drainage system, works on the local ditches and culverts and a detailed assessment of the slopes within the closure area to ascertain slope conditions. This work will enable the formulation of a detailed scheme that will be delivered in Stage 2 in June/July 2025.
As part of the stage 1 closure, Natural England will be using the closure to remove trees from their land adjacent to the road, and BT Openreach will be on site to assist with the tree removals as well as undertaking works on their assets within the site.
Communications have been held with the local elected member and Minsterley Buses, and further communications will be undertaken with residents in due course.
We apologise for any inconvenience these works may cause.
Stage 2: June - July (exact dates TBC)
As soon as further details of second stage activities are defined this webpage will be updated accordingly.
If you'd like the location information shown on the following map in a different format, please get in touch.
Update
Phase 1 of the works on the A488 have now been completed ahead of schedule. The road is now open as normal until June/July when phase 2 of the works will begin. Details regarding phase 2 will be confirmed soon.
Thank you for your patience throughout the week!
