A HEREFORDSHIRE road which has already been shut for several months could now stay closed until April.
The Stoke Edith road linking the A438 Ledbury road and A4103 Worcester road east of Hereford has been closed since at least November 18 due to safety reasons.
That closure has been extended until April 9 and there has been no sign of work starting since November, with Herefordshire Council possibly behind the delays for environmental reasons.
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There had been bridge works set to take place from September 5 for three weeks with the road closed, but then the road has remained closed since at least the middle of November.
It appears the bridge over the Hereford to Ledbury railway line has been damaged, with road closed signs at either end of the road – but before the bridge, concrete blocks have been put across the road.
Herefordshire Council's online roadworks map was showing the closure for the C1148 came into force at 1pm on November 18 and was due to run until January 27 at 11.59pm.
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But that has now been extended 11.59pm on April 9 and Herefordshire Council has not replied to the Hereford Times when asked about the reason for the long closure.
A Network Rail spokesperson said it was sorry to drivers disrupted during the closure, but the bridge of the railway and river Frome tributary needed to be shut for safety reasons.
It said repairs to the bridge foundations were needed after being damaged by water erosion.
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To ensure work does not adversely impact on the waterway, Network Rail said it was waiting for the correct permits from the Environment Agency before the repairs can start.
The Hereford Times understands that Herefordshire Council, as the lead local flood authority, needs to issue consents for works affecting ordinary watercourses, such as the tributary of the Frome.
Once Network Rail gets the go-ahead, work should take around three weeks.
The Hereford Times will continue to push Herefordshire Council for comment.
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