A LENGTHY rail bridge closure starting next month is set to cut off thousands of Wellington residents and businesses from most of the rest of the town.

People living and working in Tonedale will be isolated for nine weeks as Network Rail works on the Station Road bridge over the main railway line.

The road will be opened for short periods on weekdays to allow children to be taken to and from school but will be completely closed for the remainder of the time.

The plans have caused outrage among some residents and business owners, and also with town councillors who were not fully consulted on the work.

The road closure will run from September 7 to November 6 while Network Rail carries out steelwork repairs both trackside and roadside.

Town councillor John Thorne said: “Residents and business owners are quite right to be furious about how a road like this can be allowed to be closed for so long.

“And not just in the Tonedale area I represent on the council but also in Rockwell Green because they are going to suffer the knock-on effects.

“I do understand the need for such work to be carried out, but in this day and age we really should expect that measures could be put in place to ease the disruption for residents and businesses.”

One angry business owner said: “It appears they believe there are only houses over the bridge and not businesses trying to survive and make up for losses made during lockdown caused by Covid-19.

“Not to inform anybody who it will affect in the first place is very poor and not giving locals a chance to raise concerns.

“Even when we do say something, not to answer or take concerns seriously is unacceptable and unfair. It seems to have been kept quiet so it can be granted without anyone objecting.”

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.