ONE of Hereford’s busiest roads will be closed for a month in a move that many believe will be a diversion disaster.

Herefordshire Council is advising motorists to leave their cars at home when both eastbound lanes on Newmarket Street are closed from May 12.

The closure is required because of a Welsh Water led project connected with the development of the Old Livestock Market (OLM).

The drainage upgrade cannot be completed at night due to health and safety restrictions on working at a depth of four metres and so the road will be closed throughout the day.

“We know it’s a major scheme,” said Herefordshire Council’s Michelle Morgan. “We know it will cause major disruption.”

The road – currently accommodating 11,000 cars a day – runs from the Edgar Street roundabout to the Widemarsh Street junction and is the main route for those driving east-west across the city.

For more on this story, see today's Hereford Times.