A MAJOR road between Ledbury and Hereford is set to remain closed for longer than expected.

But Herefordshire Council has moved to clear up the situation around the A438, which has been closed at Five Bridges, Bartestree, between Hagley and Dormington all through the summer holidays.

Works, which have included a major excavation and bridge strengthening scheme, have required a full road closure for 24 hours a day from Monday, July 22.

However, Herefordshire Council's website shows the road closure has been extended and will now be shut until 9am on Monday, September 2. 

With the school term restarting in Herefordshire on that day, this means commuters may be faced with traffic delays dropping their children into lessons. 

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said the Bartestree Bridge saddling scheme is set to be successfully completed on schedule on August 30, but it had made the best use of the road closure by conducting other work.

The spokesperson said: "The scheme involves carefully planned structural reinforcements, to preserve the culvert's historical value while ensuring it meets modern safety standards.

To make the best use of the road closure a comprehensive refurbishment of the surrounding highway has also taken place.

"This includes resurfacing the road to improve driving conditions and durability, installing new fencing to enhance safety for all road users, cutting back overgrowing trees and the replacement of some services under the road surface.

"The newly refurbished stretch of road is expected to serve the community well for many years to come, reflecting a commitment to both progress and preservation."

Work was originally set to be carried out by infrastructure group Balfour Beatty until Tuesday, August 20, however, it was later confirmed the work would take longer than expected when the letters were sent out.

Following the announcement of the closure, Ledbury residents have labelled the work 'outrageous' while others expressed fears their roads will become 'rat runs.' 

Bruce Evans, the engineering manager at Herefordshire Council, said: "We have tried to conduct this work during the school holidays, obviously people will still be travelling between Ledbury and Hereford but overall the impact will be minimised through this decision."