By Michael Baws and Arun Marsh

FOR the second time in two months, Ludlow was plunged into traffic chaos after a lorry fell on its side on the A49 at Woofferton skew bridge at the weekend.

The foul-up lasted most of the day, as southbound traffic was diverted right through Ludlow town, even though the by-pass was not blocked, and northbound traffic was diverted through lanes to Overton Road, where there were no signs to indicate whether it should turn right to the by-pass or left, through Ludlow.

The chaos began soon after 8.30am on Saturday when the £165,000 articulated lorry came off the road just after crossing the skew bridge at Woofferton on its way south.

The driver was uninjured, but it was late afternoon before the nearly new lorry, carrying frozen sheep carcasses, was shifted.

It was more than 90 minutes after the incident before contractors working for the Highways Agency began to install diversion signs.

Traffic moving south from Craven Arms was diverted off the A49 at Bromfield Road, along Coronation Avenue and into Ludlow town centre, along the B4361, even though the by-pass was clear.

Drivers were caught up in bottlenecks at three sets of traffic lights, at Tesco, the Bull Ring and Ludford Bridge. There were no diversion signs to direct them through the town.

Over the next seven hours, baffled motorists clogged the centre of Ludlow and country lanes leading to Tenbury Wells and Leominster as they battled with inadequate information about where to go.

Ludlow motorist Peter Corfield called it "a farce reminiscent of the Pink Panther film".

He said: "Step forward the buffoon who diverted all A49 southbound traffic from the beginning of the Ludlow by-pass, right through the town centre, resulting in absolute gridlock.

"Is he the same buffoon that then misdirected traffic back on to the A49 at the southern end of the by-pass, where the road was in fact closed?"

In mid-June, Ludlow ground to a halt when a lorry carrying a JCB struck the underside of a bridge on the by-pass and a second lorry hit the railway bridge in Sheet Road.

"It seems the Highways Agency has not learned any lessons," said the Mayor of Ludlow, Councillor Graeme Kidd.

Bill Wiggin, MP for North Hereford and Tenbury and a campaigner for safety on the A49, said: "Nobody can ensure that it won't happen again.

These incidents will continue until the Government recognises that considerable resources are needed to improve this major highway."

Tory parliamentary candidate for Ludlow Philip Dunne complained: "If they're putting up a diversion, somebody has to be sure it's working. All you need is a man with a map."

Also affected was artist Pauline Vincent, who was visiting friends. "The situation was appallingly handled. Nobody appeared to know what was happening. We were left stranded without directions or information," she said.

The Highways Agency said problems with work being carried out by Welsh Water on the B4362 between Woofferton and Mortimer's Cross made matters worse. It added: "We apologise if there has been any disruption suffered by motorists as a direct result."

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