ROADWORKs being carried out at the Ketch roundabout in Worcester as part of the dualling of the Southern Link Road have been halted.

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council said: “The work near the Ketch roundabout is part of the ongoing wider infrastructure scheme.

“Our contractor is currently in discussions with a utility company about how best to accommodate their existing infrastructure.

“While this is being finalised the team that was working in that area has temporarily been redeployed to work elsewhere on the Southern Link Road project to ensure it continues to move forward.”

“Whenever our contractors carry out roadworks they invariably encounter existing gas, electricity, water, oil and telecommunications infrastructure. This needs to be dealt with very carefully in order to protect the services and to ensure they can be accessed for maintenance purposes in the future.

“This work has to be carried out in consultation with the utility provider.

“Some of this work can be planned in advance but sometimes, as in this case, some decisions can only be taken once the infrastructure has been exposed.

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“The staff who have been redeployed are working elsewhere on the scheme at Powick Roundabout or alongside Temeside Way.”

The Southern Link development has been years in the making. The final phase of work will see the stretch of road between the Ketch and Powick roundabouts fully dualled.

The scheme also includes construction of a new cycle/footbridge over Hams Way, to the west of Powick Roundabout, a new, wider cycle and footpath to the north of the current road, the introduction of a new fully lit underpass to enable crossing near the Ketch roundabout.