Shropshire roadworks: 18 live schemes, Ludlow worst hit

Shropshire Council’s own large-scale project works list carries 18 entries. Almost none of them are council schemes. They are gas mains, water mains, hydrants, cables and one collapsed foul pipe, dug by utility companies under permits the council issues. That is what roadworks in a rural county actually are, and it is why the council’s answer to “when will this finish” is often that it is not their dig.

The worst-affected single street in the county right now is Sandpits Road in Ludlow, which has four separate gas schemes on it, at the junctions with Julian Road, Wheeler Road, Livesey Avenue and Whitbread Road, all running to 31 August or 1 September 2026.

What is live now

Two more schemes on the list have already passed their estimated end dates: the mains renewal from Rhydycroesau to Pentregaer Isaa junction near Oswestry (16 August) and gas pipework on New Street, Wem (7 August). The A488 landslip repairs in Hope Valley, which needed a full road closure, are marked complete.

Notice how the list clusters. Shifnal has three separate schemes, Ludlow four, Oswestry three. If you live in one of those towns, the impression that the road is permanently dug up is not imagination.

Always check the live map before you rely on this list. The council publishes an interactive roadwork map built on one.network, which shows every permitted dig including the small ones, who is doing it, and the dates. It updates constantly. A page like this one cannot.

Who fixes which road

Shrewsbury station gyratory: still being argued about

The largest live piece of highway uncertainty in the county is the road layout outside Shrewsbury railway station. The scheme was built with government funding and has not settled.

In March 2026 the council received an interim Stage 3 Road Safety Audit and commissioned an independent safety review. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service had raised concerns about its appliances navigating the bus stop island on Castle Foregate, and the council said dialogue with the fire service had “helped identify a potential solution”.

On 5 August 2026, Cabinet agreed to commission technical work on a full review of the layout, weighing three options: keep the current arrangement, introduce a shared bus, taxi and cycle facility, or revert to two traffic lanes. Rob Wilson, cabinet member for transport and regeneration, said “it is important that any future changes are the right ones and do not cause unintended consequences”.

The timetable the council published with that decision:

• August to September 2026: options developed and refined
• September to October 2026: technical assessments and shortlisting
• October to November 2026: 21-day public and stakeholder engagement
• December 2026: Cabinet decides the preferred option
• Early 2027: statutory consultation on traffic regulation orders, if approved

One practical consequence today: the Harlescott park and ride stop at the railway station is suspended because of the works around the gyratory. Use Castle Street instead.

The relief road that will not be built

If you have been waiting for the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road, stop. Full Council cancelled it on 26 February 2026.

The scheme’s forecast cost had risen from £74.2m in the original business case to £162.4m, which the council’s own report attributed to planning delays and global construction cost rises. Work had been paused since June 2025, after the Department for Transport confirmed no further government funding would be made available. Reporting at the time of the decision put the amount already spent on the scheme at around £39m, with no road built.

The council took the decision while under severe financial pressure, having declared a financial emergency and secured exceptional financial support from government that has to be repaid.

One piece survived: the Oxon Link Road, the western section from A5 Churncote to Holyhead Road, which was folded into the relief road scheme but was not cancelled with it. It remains subject to separate assessment.

For anyone driving into Shrewsbury from the north west, the practical meaning is that traffic will keep using the existing river crossings and the A5 bypass for the foreseeable future, and park and ride is now the council’s main answer.

Park and ride, and what it costs

Shropshire runs park and ride at two towns, both with free parking and a per person bus fare.

Shrewsbury has three free car parks: Oxon (nearest postcode SY3 5AD, behind the Bicton Heath retail park), Harlescott (SY1 4HA, next to the Tesco Extra at Battlefield) and Meole Brace.

• Standard return: £2 per person
• Concessionary pass holder: £1 return, after 9:30am
• Accompanied children under 16: free
• Four-week saver: £32, unlimited journeys on any Shrewsbury service
• Walkers who have not parked: £2 each way
• Buses every 12 minutes 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm Saturday, up to every 20 minutes outside those hours
• First bus 7:20am (8am Saturdays), last bus back from town 6:30pm
• No service on Sundays or most bank holidays

The important small print: the Oxon and Meole Brace car parks are locked at around 6:40pm, shortly after the last bus arrives. If your car is inside, the call-out fee to get it released is £60, cash only. There is no overnight parking.

Ludlow runs service 722 from the ECO car park (SY8 1ES, off the A49 towards Sheet), operated by Minsterley Motors under council contract. Buses run every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday, first bus from the car park at 7:30am, last bus back from town at 5:30pm, no Sunday service. From the car park the fare is £2 return, £1 for concessionary pass holders after 9:30am, and under-16s travel free. Boarding at Sheet Road or Lower Galdeford instead costs £2 single or £3.80 return, because those are walker fares.

Contactless payment works on every bus at both towns.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check roadworks in Shropshire?

Use the council’s interactive roadwork map, which runs on one.network and shows every permitted dig, who is doing it and the dates. For big schemes, the large-scale project works list gives locations and estimated completion dates.

Is the Shrewsbury North West Relief Road going ahead?

No. Full Council cancelled it on 26 February 2026 after costs rose from £74.2m to £162.4m and the Department for Transport confirmed no further funding. The Oxon Link Road section was not cancelled and is being assessed separately.

What is happening outside Shrewsbury railway station?

The gyratory layout is under review. Cabinet agreed on 5 August 2026 to assess three options, including reverting to two traffic lanes, with public engagement in October and November and a decision in December 2026. The park and ride stop at the station is suspended in the meantime.

How much is Shrewsbury park and ride?

£2 return per person, £1 for concessionary pass holders after 9:30am, free for accompanied under-16s, or £32 for a four-week saver. Parking is free at all three sites.

Who do I report a pothole to in Shropshire?

Shropshire Council, through improvingyourroads.shropshire.gov.uk, for every road except the A5 and M54, which are National Highways trunk roads. Roads in Telford and Wrekin belong to that council instead.

Why does the council say it cannot tell me when works will finish?

Because most large works in Shropshire are utility digs. The council issues the permit under the West and Shires Permit Scheme, but the gas, water, power or telecoms company controls the programme. The one.network map names the promoter for each site.

Sources

• Shropshire Council large-scale project works for the scheme list, locations and estimated completion dates, checked 10 August 2026.
• Shropshire Council interactive roadwork map for the live one.network feed and the fault reporting route.
• Cabinet agrees review of road layout outside Shrewsbury station, 5 August 2026 for the three options, the review timetable, the December 2026 decision date and the quote from Rob Wilson.
• Shrewsbury station gyratory scheme update, March 2026 for the interim Stage 3 Road Safety Audit and the fire service concerns.
• Update on Shrewsbury North West Relief Road for the £74.2m to £162.4m cost increase, the June 2025 pause and the DfT funding position. The £39m already spent is from contemporaneous reporting of the 26 February 2026 full Council decision, including New Civil Engineer.
• Shrewsbury park and ride operating days, times and fares and car park locations, plus Ludlow park and ride for fares, times and the car park closing arrangements.

Roadworks dates move. Check the council’s live map before you set off. If you are heading for a station instead of driving, journey times and fares are on Shrewsbury to London trains, and what is being built where is on Shropshire planning news.