Joy for Bishop's Stortford motorists as Hadham Road reopens – but more disruption ahead with resurfacing plan

Residents and motorists breathed a sigh of relief on Friday (March 10) when a major route into and out of Bishop's Stortford was reopened – but there will be more disruption on the way.

The A1250 Hadham Road was closed on January 3 for gas main work by Cadent Gas due to last until May 8. But highways authority Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) announced it would reopen two months earlier and on Friday evening the road was opened to vehicles.

An HCC spokesman told the Indie that although utility companies are required to reinstate roads to an appropriate standard after they complete their works, resurfacing of Hadham Road would not take place until later in the year.

The work, part of HCC's countywide resurfacing programme, will also see Rye Street resurfaced at some stage this year.

The spokesman added: "A recent inspection of Dunmow Road has identified some defects and our engineers are currently examining whether we need to patch some areas."

The county council also revealed that the latest closure of Hadham Road by Cadent Gas was due to a continuation of work that started TWO YEARS ago.

"Unfortunately Cadent Gas were unable to complete all phases of work during their initial closure in 2021," said the spokesman. "The return visit in 2023 included the remaining phases not delivered in 2021 and additional gas mains replacements."

Other ongoing road works in Bishop's Stortford include:

• Gipsy Lane from Hazelend Road to B1383 Pines Hill - 24/7 rolling road closure until April 19 for Thames Water mains installation works in association with Avanti Meadows Primary School. To reduce disruption, the closure is restricted to small sections to maintain access for residents and businesses either side of the closure.
• Rye Street, between the junctions of Cannons Mill Lane and Michaels Road - 'Stop' and 'Go' boards from 9.30am to 3.30pm until April 12 for Thames Water to manage delivery and removal of site materials. Again, to reduce disruption, the closure is restricted to small sections to maintain access for residents and businesses.
• Heath Row from the junction of Lea Close to the junction of Parsonage Lane - 24/7 multi-way signals until April 23 for UK Power Networks to carry out electrical connection works.