THE A51 will be reopened this weekend, say Cheshire County Council’s highways department - but they are not sure which day.
The A51 has been closed between Clotton and Tarporley for the past three months and was due to be opened last weekend. A blunder by contractors caused a week’s delay after they put down the wrong material on the road and part of it had to be ripped up.
Cheshire County Council spokesperson Shirley Wingfield said: “The road will be opened up this weekend, but we cannot confirm the exact day.
“When everything is completed it will be opened up, but obviously factors like the weather play their part.”
The road closure has caused major headaches for drivers, residents and businesses in the area. Motorists have either used the long diversion, which caused queues at traffic lights or they have had to negotiate the small roads to cut through.
Residents have complained of motorists using the back roads as rat runs, and the huge HGVs that have used unsuitable country lanes to avoid the long diversion.
Businesses have been hit hard and have called the closure a “nightmare” with some having to lay off staff to cope with the loss of passing trade.
Ann Hull, general manager at Iddenshall Hall Care Home on the A51, said: “Thank goodness it will be reopened, it has been hell for us. There have just not told us anything and it has been a real problem.
“Lots of people have been turned away or couldn’t get in because of the closure. There has been lots of confusion.”
She added: We also often found we didn’t know which end of the closure we would be let in and out of. We just can’t wait until it went back to normal.”
