Cllr Chris Kettle’s announcement of the welcome news:
Councillors from around Southam have continued to keep the pressure on for reopening the A425. On 27 May Cllrs Crump, Rock, Adam and myself met with HS2 and their contractors to be told of their revised timetable for reopening the A425 road. The road will now reopen in the first week of August and the 12 months additional closure has been cancelled.
HS2 have finally conceded the need to construct the temporary bypass road that was originally approved. This will go through the polo grounds for a distance of 800m, and is yet to be built. While it is being built, the original road will be reopened. Then after 18 months the temporary road will come into use. Going forward, a direct route either on the original or temporary road should be available from Southam to Leamington, although there might have to be some traffic signals from time to time.
This has been a long struggle to convince HS2 to solve their problem and the matter, which has involved the HS2 Construction Commissioner, has been thoroughly unsatisfactory and HS2 has apologised and recognised that lessons have been learnt.
Repair works on other roads road about the area will start when the A425 route is reopened, as a number of these maintenance works have been held back over recent months.
HS2 Ltd’s version differs somewhat, but we have come to expect that ….
