Highway chiefs slammed after badly signed roadworks ruin driver's first ever visit to Stratford - The Stratford Observer

Highway chiefs slammed after badly signed roadworks ruin driver's first ever visit to Stratford

Stratford Editorial 3rd Apr, 2016 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

A FURIOUS driver has slammed county highway chiefs after badly signed roadworks ruined his first ever visit to Stratford.

Company director Simon Woolf was travelling from Coventry to his home in Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire when he and his wife decided to make an impromptu trip into the town.

But having enjoyed a meal at the Giggling Squid and a performance of Dr Faustus at the RST, the ‘otherwise perfect’ evening was marred by a road closure, which left him angry and frustrated.

Hoping to get back onto the M40 via the A439 Warwick Road, the 53-year-old was frustrated to see no signage warning of a closure until he reached the last stretch of the road.




He spoke to a workman, who gave him an emergency number to call, but the automated phone line told him to leave a message and he was forced to drive back into the town centre before his sat nav kicked in with an alternate route back to the A46.

Eventually he arrived home and set about sending an email to the county council’s highway chief.


Mr Woolf told the Observer: “As a visitor to Stratford, our journey home was met by frustration caused by the woefully inadequate signage to warn of a road closure and a complete lack of diversion signs.

“The workman on duty was extremely unconcerned and said I and all the other drivers were not paying attention to the signs. This was not the case and judging by the stream of traffic leaving Stratford, clearly something had gone wrong.”

Mr Woolf is a member of an organising committee for the Beaconsfield Country Fayre and part of his role sees him arrange road closures for the event.

He added: “There are guidelines we have to follow, which include putting up adequate signage and identifying a diversion route.

“I know what is required and Warwickshire County Council failed miserably to do the job properly. This sadly marred what had hitherto been a great evening out.”

A county council spokesman confirmed a stretch of the road had been closed overnight for resurfacing but said more than 120 signs had been put in place along the diversion route.

He said Mr Woolf’s complaint was currently being investigated, adding: “We are always mindful of drivers’ frustration with any road closure and aim to cause the least inconvenience for the shortest time possible.”

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