BUSINESS owners have hit out after road closure measures left Corwen ‘a ghost town’ last weekend.
Road closures were put in place after a large Volvo wagon, which was loaded with logs, overturned between on the A5 between Llangollen and Corwen around 8.30am last Saturday.
The road was blocked for more than seven hours after logs spilled onto the carriageway.
But business people in Corwen said they may as well have ‘shut up shop’ on Saturday after road closure signs kept visitors out of Corwen.
“There were road closure signs at both Tyn y Cefn and by the swimming pool, so both entrances to the town were shut off,” said Gareth Jones, who owns Corwen’s shoe shop.
“No-one came into Corwen all day, as they must have thought the town was closed.
“I have complained to my county councillor, as this is not good for Corwen’s businesses.
“And I know other businesses have voiced their concerns too.”
But Mr Jones said this was not the first time that road closures had affected Corwen.
“This is the second time this has happened in the last few months,” he said.
“A Tesco lorry overturned a few weeks ago, and the same signs went up then too.
“Although last time it took them days to remove the signs, this time they were taken down on Sunday.”
A spokeswoman for Denbighshire County Council said: “At the request of North Wales Police road closed signs were erected at the traffic lights in Llangollen, at the junction with the chain bridge Llangollen and at Glyndyfrdwy village.
“Road ahead closed signs were erected at Tyn Cefn lights in Corwen and at the A5 junction with Green Lane in Corwen.
“A diversion was set up from Tyn y Cefn lights up the A5104 to Dafarn Dywyrch roundabout, to the A542 Horseshoe pass to Llangollen bridge, then Castle street to the A5.
“As the day progressed more and more vehicles started using the Broad through Carrog and Glyndyfrdwy causing chaos, also traffic was turning by the Corwen depot towards the swimming pool and then down Green Lane into Corwen and re joining the A5 towards Llangollen.
“North Wales Police requested we put additional road closed signs up at Green lane by the swimming pool to prevent vehicles using these routes.”