Dismayed motorists are facing a 40-mile diversion through 18 countryside towns in order to navigate past a mere 60-metre-long road closure.
The incredulous diversion will see drivers travel an hour out of their way to evade broadband works which could last for almost a week.
Locals in the Shropshire village of Cockshutt claim that the alternative route will hike their weekly fuel costs and cause chaos to their daily work commutes.
The works are currently scheduled to begin on this Sunday, March 16, as workers lay cables along a 60m stretch of road to improve the village's access to super-fast broadband.
Road signs placed along the route state the works will only take one day, but the company laying down the cables, Freedom Fibre, has applied for a six-day road closure.
Another road closure is also due to be enforced for a further seven days from March 24.
The works form part of wider project in the Shropshire area which aims to boost internet connectivity for local communities.
Despite these purported benefits though, locals have been quick to slam the road closures and are demanding to know why the works can't be undertaken during the night or on weekends when the roads are less busy.
Locals in the Shropshire village of Cockshutt have been left dismayed by plans to enforce a 40-mile diversion to avoid 60 metres of road works
Handyman Dean Bywater, 63, was similarly dismayed and said he relies on quick transport links to get to his customers.
The dad-of-two, who lives in the village with his wife Julie, said: 'I work all over and I don't know if I can get to my jobs in the nearby towns and villages.
'I'm annoyed they put all these signs up and saying they shut all these roads.
'They don't say if we can get to our houses. I can't afford to do a 40-mile trip, it wouldn't be worth it for the money I make.
'The Wi-Fi is fine as it is. I'm with BT and it's pretty fast. If they put the new one in I can't use it anyway, some say it's good or just as rubbish.
'If I can't get out or get into the village, I can't earn money.
'The way things go in terms of prices I can't afford to lose a day's pay. If it's a sunny week, I can work in the village and walk it.'
The nearby village of Ellesmere is usually just a ten minute drive from Cockshutt, but locals say it will now take in excess of one hour.
An aerial image of the A528 which runs directly through the heart of Cockshutt
Handyman Dean Bywater, 63, says he relies on quick transport links to get to his customers
Woodcock Inn landlady Michaela Batho worries that the road closure will impact her business
Woodcock Inn landlady Michaela Batho said: 'It's our business that's the problem, it's smack in the middle of it, no one has been in touch to say the road is closed.
'Sunday is our busiest day because of the Sunday lunches, and that's when they're closing it, but we haven't heard a single word from them (Freedom Fibre).
'I rang them the other day and I couldn't get hold of anyone. I had to go through the wrong department, he said he would take my details and get back to me.
'My wife does goes in and out, but it's like that everywhere, our till system runs on the internet and it's hardly bad.
'I'm lucky as I live in the village so I can walk to work. My friend who runs the pub with me lives in Shrewsbury, she has to drive in but doesn't know how she'll make it if it's blocked off.
'We also get deliveries, but they aren't going to do a 40-mile diversion, so we could be left without.
'It isn't fair on us, we're a struggling little country pub and they're shutting our pub on the busiest day.
'There are not many jobs around here, we have a village shop run by one man and then us, so most people commute.'
This 60 metre stretch of the A528 is what will cause motorists to drive an hour out of their way
Both Ellesmere and Shrewsbury are ordinarily just a mere ten minute drive away from Cockshutt
Similarly, retired engineer Loft Longhurst, 76, worries that the village will be cut in half thanks to the planned broadband works.
The grandfather-of-two, who lives in the village with his wife Barbara, said: 'We have no idea what's going on, we've had no input apart from what's on Facebook and what's online.
'We've had no communication at all from Freedom Fibre, as per usual.
'It'll cause me problems if I go to Ellesmere or Shrewsbury, the whole village will be cut off until the village hall.
'They can't say to us sorry you've got to drive a diverted 40 miles to get to your house, it's ridiculous.
'A few of us locals know some roads which we could try, but they are tiny and aren't a guarantee.
'There's a quite a few people who need to get the Shrewsbury for the hospital in the week and Ellesmere is where our main shopping supermarket is. We need food.
'My BT Wi-Fi hub is good as it is, I get enough broadband speed already. Where I am in the village it's adequate, so I don't see the point.'
Reacting to the planned closures, a Freedom Fibre spokesperson said: 'Freedom Fibre is currently upgrading the internet connection in North Shropshire by rolling out full-fibre broadband.
'To support this essential infrastructure work, we will be carrying out necessary diversions along Shrewsbury Road from Sunday 16th March to Friday 21st March.
'During this period, the road will remain open with traffic light management, except on Sunday 16th March, when a temporary road closure will be in effect from 8am to 5pm.
'Access for residents and businesses will be maintained throughout the works, with every effort made to minimise disruption.'
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