Village feels ‘forgotten’ during road flood repair
RESIDENTS have been left feeling part of a ‘forgotten village’ after a road remains closed – four months after it was damaged by flooding.
Heavy rain this summer caused extensive damage to the bridge at the Moggie Lane-Dickens Lane junction between Adlington and Poynton.
The road remains closed and according to Cheshire East Council the work necessary for it to reopen will not be completed until March 2020.
But for some residents the route is the most direct one from Adlington to Poynton, where they go for shopping, medical appointments and other necessities.
And they have been left angered by just how long it is taking to sort the problem out - and the resulting large detour to get to Poynton.
Julie Hornby, 72, from Adlington, said: “I feel we have been forgotten, it is causing all sorts of problems. No one seems to be doing anything and Christmas is coming. You have to leave at least 20 minutes earlier to go a long way round.
”We need Call Care for my husband and a first responder visiting got lost. We just seem to be getting fobbed off.”
The flooding, in late July and early August caused significant damage to a retaining wall and, in turn, a large section of the carriageway to collapse.
Cheshire East Council says the necessary repairs will be made but United Utilities have to divert a water main first.
Its workers have been on site but were expected to finish on Monday December 16. Then a Christmas roadworks embargo has to be observed.
A council spokesman said: “We understand that having to close Dickens Lane is inconvenient to local residents and members of the travelling public, but the resulting damage leaves no alternative.
”United Utilities commenced work on November 25 to temporarily divert the water main where the wall has collapsed.
“This will take approximately four weeks to complete.
“Whilst every effort is being made to minimise disruption and maintain vehicular access to properties/businesses at all times, due to the nature of the site, some inconvenience is to be anticipated.”
A United Utilities spokesman said earlier this week: “We have large trunk water main running under the bridge, before the partial bridge collapse during the storms.
“We have been working to build a new pipeline to divert the water main away from the bridge.
“On Monday, December 16, we will make the new connection, and complete our works.”