I AM dismayed that the Highways Agency has recently extended the completion date of the bridge and drainage works at Horse Bridge on the main A438 between Tewkesbury and Ledbury by some five months.

The work was only meant to take no more than five months to start with so I am baffled that it could have been under-estimated by a margin of 100 per cent.

The closure of the A438 is costing businesses along that road a lot of trade, and it’s causing many others a lot of inconvenience in diversions. When bats were found the public was reassured that the work would still be completed on time and that contractors could work round the bats. Right now no one is working night and day, seven days a week, which they ought to be – at a cost to the main contractor.

Whoever planned and scheduled the work, together with the contractor doing it, all have questions to answer.

Moreover, there should be significant penalty clauses now imposed so that contractors do work harder and faster to get the work completed and the road reopened.

If penalty clauses weren’t included in the contract, then that’s another opportunity lost.

The Highways Agency is ultimately responsible for this fiasco and their lack of visibility, accountability or apology is utterly unacceptable.

Edd Hogan

Ledbury