Wrexham to close damaged road due to costs

Wrexham CBC officers plan to close a damaged road permanently because it may be too expensive to repair and maintain.

Queen’s Road in the suburb of Brymbo, was closed in 2008 after it was damaged in a landslip and officers are now calling for it to be closed for good.

Wrexham commissioned technical reports and investigations, which concluded there was uncertainty around the costs of remedial works because further ground investigation could not be undertaken safely before the excavation phase of the works.

Queen's Road, Brymbo - Picture from Google

Officers will tell the authority’s executive board tomorrow (14 April) that this ‘presents a significant level of risk and uncertainty surrounding final costs which have been estimated in the region of £450,000’.

With ‘increasing pressures on diminishing resources’, the council’s strategic approach to highways management balances competing demands.

Cllr Paul Rogers, ward member for Brymbo, said: 'As the local councillor I don’t want to see Queens Road permanently closed but unfortunately the authority’s financial situation means the cost of reopening it is not viable.

'It can’t be afforded in this current climate. There’s a lot of money tied up in maintaining the council’s existing highways network and obviously this extra cost is just not affordable.'

Officers propose a permanent ‘stopping up’ order for Queen’s Road. Local residents have expressed strong concerns about buses diverted along roads which they believe are unsuitable.

Part of the diversionary route has a temporary one-way traffic order because of a weak retaining wall. Officers propose to restore two-way traffic there and to implement additional traffic management measures on the diversionary route, should Queen’s Road close permanently.

The area has a history of verge failures and minor ground movements because the ground mainly comprises fine material deposit.