A councillor has called for answers on why contractors took so long to carry out emergency roadworks that brought main roads in Lichfield to a standstill for almost a week.
Cadent began the work on 1st March to repair a gas leak at Trent Valley island.
But despite describing the work as an “emergency”, work was only carried out during standard working hours.
Delays also continued even after the repair to halt the leak was completed on Friday after Cadent said they could not immediately remove temporary traffic lights.
Cllr Alan White, leader of Staffordshire County Council and Lichfield District Council representative for Whittington and Streethay, has now written to the chief executive of Cadent, Steve Fraser, to seek answers on why the disruption continued for so long.
“If you do not know the area, you will not appreciate that the roundabout is a vital component of the highway network in North Lichfield, therefore any work that effects traffic in that area needs to be undertaken quickly.
“Much to the consternation of people impacted by the traffic lights, from 1st to 3rd March you only appeared to have a single daytime shift on site – and it appeared to me that the work had been completed by close of play on Friday 3rd March.
“The traffic management system remained in place for a further four days and has only just been removed.
“This is not acceptable.”
Cllr Alan White
A representative from Cadent told Lichfield Live that the delays in removing the temporary traffic lights had been due to awaiting a contractor “as well as the council who need to switch on the pedestrian lights”.
But Cllr White said the blame for delays lay with Cadent rather than the county council – and said they should have done more to keep people informed of progress.
He has also requested answers from the company to understand how issues surrounding the roadworks came to be.
“I would like to understand why, given the importance of the junction for traffic flows around Lichfield, you did not have three shifts working on the fault to expedite the work?
“Why was traffic management left in place from Friday – when the work was complete – until lunchtime today?
“What work did you do with Staffordshire County Council highways to understand and mitigate traffic congestion caused by the work? Some traffic was queuing back on to the A38 which was extremely dangerous.”
Cllr Alan White
