Severn Trent insist Newark town centre closures are necessary

A stretch of Sherwood Avenue that closed on Saturday to accommodate part of the £60m sewer replacement work is due to reopen tomorrow.

Closures at the same time on Beacon Hill Road and Harcourt Street added to congestion on Barnbygate, and the roads connecting it to London Road, some of which are also closed.

Severn Trent said it was necessary to carry out the work on Beacon Hill Road and Sherwood Avenue at the same time.

It said the Sherwood Avenue work had been deliberately scheduled for January to have the least amount of disruption.

It said signs informing motorists of the Sherwood Avenue diversion to help minimise traffic going on to Barnbygate had been in place.

A spokesman said: “Due to completing the work in three years rather than (the possible) eight, some closures will be at the same time — but this means disruption for a shorter period overall.

“We are avoiding closures on any of the other major roads into Newark during our one-way system (on Castlegate) to help keep traffic moving.

“For our project in Newark, significant planning is made to make sure our work causes as little disruption as possible for residents in the town.

“Where possible, we are completing work by tunnelling to avoid road closures, and have planned for the work to be completed in a three-year period.

“The work on Sherwood Avenue will be completed by the end of this week and, before starting, we worked closely with Nottinghamshire County Council to ensure the official diversion routes and signage for the closure were appropriate, so traffic could still get around the town.

“This work is essential to protect hundreds of homes and businesses from flooding, and to provide our customers with a reliable water supply for years to come.

“We appreciate there is never a good time to close roads, but it is vital we keep our teams and road users safe as they work. We appreciate everyone’s understanding.”

'It is not good for us and it is not good for customers'

Mr Marius Jacob, of Rio Cabs, said it had been difficult to get around the town and roads should have been closed one at a time.

He said slowing the pace of roadworks would help to stop motorists becoming stressed and decrease the likelihood of accidents.

Mr Jacob, who has five taxis, said: “A while ago it used to be Wednesdays and Fridays that were peak times, but in the last couple of months, maybe more, it has been terrible.

“I had a fare from Bowbridge Court Care Home to Northgate Station that used to take ten minutes, but it took 30 minutes.

“It is not good for us and it is not good for customers.”

Severn Trent’s investment in Newark is expected to be completed by 2020. When finished, more than 400 homes and businesses will be protected from sewer flooding.