ROAD works in Pembroke Dock, expected to last 17 weeks or more, will cause traffic chaos which could lead to lorry ‘tailbacks’ to Rosslare, the town council was warned.

Works started this week on the Trunk Road Agency scheme for traffic lights at Ferry Lane with its junction with the A477 London Road.

It will involve the installation of traffic signal equipment, pedestrian crossing facilities and resurfacing of the area.

Milford Mercury:

The works include plans to stop traffic turning right out of Pembroke Dock’s Ferry Lane to the eastbound lane of London Road, which were backed by Pembroke Dock Town Council at its January 2017 meeting.

Traffic wishing to travel eastwards would turn left from Ferry Lane to the nearby Waterloo roundabout in order to use it.

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While the road improvements themselves have been welcomed, the time taken, and what is seen as a lack of consultation and forward planning, have raised concerns locally.

Speaking at last Thursday’s meeting of Pembroke Dock Town Council, Councillor Brian Hall warned that local businesses affected by the works were going “ballistic”.

“The 17 week is absolutely ridiculous for Waterloo roundabout to the cemetery, the council did from Bush corner down to Aldi in seven weeks.

“When you go in to it, Tarmac own the contract, most of their men will come from the other end of Swansea or Cardiff, stopping early each day; there’ll be no night work or shift work.

“In the last week or so there’ll be a closure from 6pm-6am, that is for the final cut.”

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Cllr Hall raised the possibility of access difficulties being encountered by ambulance crews based at Waterloo, and long waits for funeral services at Llanion.

He also raised concerns on behalf of local businesses.

“The most important thing is since the piece in the Western Telegraph every company involved with this closure, Aldi, Ledwood and the rest, everyone had paperwork on Tuesday. After it officially started on Monday.

“The Ferry, Nolans, and others, none of them have been told; they are going ballistic.

“It’s not going to be nice to get in to Aldi in the 17-18 week period but what really, really concerns me is Ledwood Engineering, they’ve got a contract at the moment for a bridge over the Thames, with 10 38-metre sections being moved by road. These things, if they do two a week, that’s five weeks; the problem will be getting out there with a 38 metre load. It took them six months to get permission to get on the road, Ledwoods are really, really concerned.

“There’s nothing in Fishguard for Stenna, their traffic will be coming here, the last thing we want is temporary lights on green at Tesco when the other lights are on red; the tailback will be from Rosslare on one side to Kilgetty on the other.

“I just think it’s poor, poor planning; it’s not a major job, it’s not 17 weeks.

“I think we should protest strongly to this, there’s not enough planning gone in to this. How are they going to cope with this? I wouldn’t want to be waiting 20 minutes in traffic to get to a funeral in Llanion.

“I know we need to get it done, but I there’s a quicker way by working 24 hours a day.”

He later added: “There was an accident on the A477 on Saturday, in 28 minutes there were 24 Irish ferry lorries, they came down Bush Hill and Ferry Lane; there are days when there’s 150 in and 150 out, that’s 600 in a day. Irish Ferries are going absolutely ballistic, and so are Nolans and Ledwoods.”

Proposing concerns were raised with the Trunk Road Agency, Cllr Hall finished: “How are people of the town going to react to being held up and not being allowed to go where they want, they will go bannanas.”

Councillor Phil Gwyther, supporting Cllr Hall, said: “When they did Merlin’s Bridge they absolutely threw men at it, why haven’t we got the same kind of treatment?”

Speaking after the meeting, Engineering Director Alan Davies of Ledwood Engineering said his fears about the movement of the 60-70 ton bridge sections had “been allayed” following a conversation with the Trunk Road Agency.

“My only concerns were with the traffic lights and the effect we’d have on the main passageway to the motorway, and the effect we’d have on the traffic lights behind us; we were told we’d have due consideration.”

He added: “It is going to be a disruption to our workforce but the actual move is allayed to a certain extent; we’re no different to any other company down here.”

PICTURES: Martin Cavaney.