West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called for urgent action from the county council gritting team to protect drivers forced onto narrow country lanes as a result of M50 bridge repair works. Another cold snap is due to hit the county this week and motorists have complained to the MP that they are being put at risk by being diverted onto minor roads which are not usually gritted. Scheduled work to a stretch of bridge on the M50 has led to the closure of the A438 between Bushley and Berrow, shunting traffic onto alternative routes, including narrow minor roads. Harriett has called on the county council to carry out gritting work on these roads which are facing extra traffic loads during the repair work. The situation is made worse by night-time motorway closures resulting in higher than normal traffic avoiding the roadworks. Hariett has also called for the Highways Agency to speed up the repair work on the M50 to reduce the impact on local drivers. Harriett commented: “The county council has done a great job this year helping to keep our roads safe. “This latest issue has been raised with me by constituents so I have agree to write to the county council to ask if they can ensure that these minor roads are covered when temperatures fall again this week. “I have had reports of accidents on these minor roads and I have passed on the message to the county gritting team that they need to keep an eye on this issue and act accordingly. “It is essential that the Highways Agency complete this work as quickly as possible and reduce the impact this is clearly having on local motorists. “I hope that drivers take extra care across all of our county roads during the winter and always be prepared in case bad weather strikes.”