The Lloyds to re-open three weeks early
Telford & Wrekin Council is re-opening the Lloyds Road between Jackfield and Coalport three weeks ahead of schedule tomorrow following the completion of stabilisation works.
The early re-opening will meet the needs of residents, businesses and tourists alike by allowing traffic to flow freely through the Gorge during the Easter holidays – a key time for the World Heritage Site as it attracts thousands of visitors.
The stabilisation works on the north bank has comprised sinking 20 piles to a depth of 12m through the landslide and into the stable rock beneath.
The work is not related to the Jackfield Stabilisation Project on the opposite south bank but has used similar techniques.
The work has been designed to give short term protection to the Lloyds Road but is not designed to address the Lloyds Coppice landslide as a whole, for which funding is not currently available.
It is expected the road will re-open at some point on the afternoon of Friday 27 March. It will close again in mid April for a period of two weeks for resurfacing of the highway and footpath to take place after the Easter holiday period.
Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet lead for land stability in the Ironbridge Gorge, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to re-open The Lloyds ahead of the Easter holidays and I know that is something that local residents will welcome.
"I would like to say a big thank you to the team that has worked on stabilising The Lloyds road as they’ve put in a big effort to get the road re-opened ahead of schedule.
"There is still a bigger project that needs to happen to properly halt the Lloyds Coppice landslide and we will continue to lobby government to provide more funding for this to be done.
"However at least in the short to medium term we have now secured the road and I would also like to thank residents for their patience while the road has been closed."
