Motorists across the West Midlands have been warned of a staggering 40-mile diversion to navigate around a mere 60-metre road closure.
The closure will take place in Cockshutt, Shropshire and will begin this Sunday, March 16, as Freedom Fibre carries out broadband infrastructure works.
While road signs indicate the works will take just one day, the company has applied for a six-day closure until March 21.
The diversion will force drivers to travel through 18 countryside towns, turning roughly a 10-minute journey into an hour-long trip.
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The road closures will force drivers to face delays of more than one hour
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Residents have expressed dismay at the prospect of increased fuel costs and disruption to daily commutes.
The works form part of a wider project in Shropshire aimed at boosting internet connectivity for local communities.
A further seven-day road closure is also scheduled from March 24. Shrewsbury, also typically a short journey away, will similarly require the lengthy detour.
The A528, which runs directly through the heart of Cockshutt, will be closed for the broadband installation works.
But residents fear the village will effectively be cut in half by the closure. Some locals have indicated they know alternative routes on smaller roads, but these are not guaranteed to be viable options.
The diversion is particularly concerning for those needing to access Shrewsbury Hospital or the main supermarket in Ellesmere for essential shopping.
One resident expressed serious concerns about the impact on her business, the Woodcock Inn.
“It’s our business that’s the problem, it’s smack in the middle of it, no one has been in touch to say the road is closed,” she told This Is Money.
Sunday is the pub’s busiest day due to popular Sunday lunches, coinciding with the first day of closure.
“We’re a struggling little country pub and they’re shutting our pub on the busiest day,” she added.
Deliveries are another concern, as suppliers are unlikely to make the 40-mile detour.
“They aren’t going to do a 40-mile diversion, so we could be left without,” she explained.
Meanwhile someone else warned: “I work all over and I don’t know if I can get to my jobs in the nearby towns and villages. I can’t afford to do a 40-mile trip, it wouldn’t be worth it for the money I make.”
But Freedom Fibre has defended the works as “essential infrastructure” to upgrade internet connections in North Shropshire.
A company spokesperson said: “To support this essential infrastructure work, we will be carrying out necessary diversions along Shrewsbury Road from Sunday, March 16, to Friday, March 21.”
They clarified that the road will remain open with traffic light management for most of the period.
Only on March 16 will a full closure be in effect from 8am to 5pm.
The company insists that “access for residents and businesses will be maintained throughout the works.”
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The road closures will see drivers taken through 18 countryside towns
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They added that “every effort” would be made to minimise disruption during the broadband installation.
Despite these assurances, locals remain sceptical, particularly as many claim their current internet service is already adequate.
