Boston road closed for repairs to Grade II listed railing after wait of more than a year

Willoughby Road is currently barred to traffic just south of Hospital Lane while the Environment Agency (EA) carries out the work.

Two weeks have been set aside for the project, though this is dependent on weather conditions; work started on Monday.

A spokesman for the EA said it is believed the railing was damaged by a vehicle. This happened more than a year ago, he said, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, work to fix it has been delayed. The fence was secured and temporarily repaired at the time of the damage for public safety, they added.

“As the fence is within a Conservation Area and grade-listed it must be restored to its previous condition,” the spokesman continued. “To guarantee the safety of staff, the road will be closed until the works have been completed.”

Due to Covid-19, staff are required to adhere to social distancing guidelines. With the road being so narrow, this would have been ‘impossible’ without closing the road, the spokesman further explained.

They added that during many site visits motorists were observed driving at more than the 30mph speed limit, which presented another issue in terms of keeping the road open safely.

In addition to the work in Willoughby Road, repairs will be taking place on the other side of the Maud Foster Drain in Horncastle Road.

This is to replace minor, naturally deteriorated sections of the railing. While the road will not be close, motorists are being warned to expect ‘some minor delays’.

* The information in this story originally came from a public notice published in this newspaper. You can read more public notices in our classified section.