An angry resident has hit out at a lengthy temporary lane closure on a busy Middlesbrough road. Tom Allan described the situation as “like the Mary Celeste”, saying that on the occasions he has popped down to have a look, he has never seen anyone working there.
Ladgate Lane has recently seen the closure of a section of one side of the road, following damage to a culvert below the carriageway, with temporary traffic lights in operation throughout. A contractor has now been appointed, with design work and a full repair, expected to take around seven months. The westbound lane is currently closed just before the railway bridge at Marton station.
A spokesperson for Middlesbrough Council said that the lane closure was unavoidable, due to serious public safety concerns following the development of a significant structural defect. They added that the repairs require a period of preparation before work can start.
Retiree Mr Allan, 74, was asked about worsening traffic at the site and said: “I myself was hit with it once, obviously you learn that lesson – never again!” He said that the temporary traffic lights had been installed “probably about eight to ten weeks ago”.
He said it was the “usual” road signs by traffic management, and no warnings as to why the traffic lights were in place. He later outlined that limited explanatory signage had now gone up, following a conversation he had with MICA Councillor Brian Hubbard, whose ward boundary includes the affected part of Ladgate Lane.
Mr Allan, who is married and has two teenage grandchildren, explained that traffic is getting backed up “towards Ormesby High Street” most mornings. When it comes to queues in the other direction, he said once cars have cleared Alan Peacock Way (which people travel down to get to Middlesbrough Sports Village), traffic builds up for the temporary traffic lights at the railway bridge.
Image: Daniel Hodgson
He also highlighted how the delays are worsening an “arterial route” to James Cook University Hospital as well as Acklam Crematorium.
Mr Allan, who previously worked for Redcar & Cleveland Council, before moving to Northumbrian Water in 2009, pointed out how at the crematorium, people are only allocated a certain amount of time “and if you were delayed for whatever reason, it just pushes the funerals along”.
When asked for his reaction to news that the closure is going to be for another seven months, he said that people he had spoken to were “spitting feathers” and asking: “What the hell are they doing?”
He compared the timeline on Ladgate Lane to the ongoing work to remove the cycle lane on Linthorpe Road, saying: “We’re supposed to have senior officers, educated engineers and everything, all we seem to be doing is farming the work out to contractors – why can’t we do it ourselves?”
Mr Allan lives on College Road, just off of Cargo Fleet Lane and is near enough “born and bred” at the address, being a Middlesbrough man “through and through”. Because of the works, when it comes to visiting a relative in Acklam, he said: “I would sooner go up Nunthorpe, along Stainton Way and drop down that way past the Bluebell, it takes me longer – but at least I’m moving!”
Ladgate Lane runs along the southern border of the Park End and Beckfield ward. Councillors Hubbard, Mick Saunders and Stephen Hill commented on the matter, saying: “This road plays an integral part for people attending James Cook hospital and for also attending services at Acklam Crematorium, so for the repair not to be completed until April 2026 will anger and frustrate those who are already fed-up with Middlesbrough’s poor road network.
“This comes on the back of the announcement that the cycle lane will also take a year to remove, so residents are rightly asking why these works are taking an inexplicable amount of time.”
A Middlesbrough Council spokesman said: “A lengthy lane closure at this location is unavoidable. While drivers won’t always see work taking place day-to-day, that doesn’t mean the lane could be open. The damage to the culvert poses a serious risk to the public.
“The delays are inconvenient and frustrating, but nobody would expect us to put the public’s safety at risk or cut corners with a problem of this nature. Repairs such as this require a period of preparation before work can start. We will ensure it is completed as quickly as possible. We are grateful to those affected for their understanding and patience.”
