'Hamburger' plan for Birchley Island revamp
A 'hamburger island' is the preferred option to ease traffic jams around the notoriously congested Birchley Island, council bosses have announced.
This is despite many motorists favouring a scheme to widen lanes at the roundabout in Oldbury, near junction two of the M5.
Plans for a multi-million pound overhaul of the island, which is used by around 92,000 drivers a day, were revealed last year after it emerged that surrounding roads were reaching capacity at peak times.
Highways officials claimed congestion was hitting businesses, public transport and creating long queues of traffic trying to reach the M5 and wider motorways network.
Four options were devised to bring improvements to the island during the consultation.
The scheme preferred by the council would see changes to lanes but also involves extending Wolverhampton Road on a new roadway through the roundabout to create a two-way 'hamburger' island. That could cost around £12.7m.
The majority of people were in favour of a proposal, costing £12.9m, which would create a traffic junction similar to that at Burnt Tree on the Dudley and Sandwell border, which involves the widening of lanes.
But in a report by Councillor Ian Jones, who is in charge of jobs and the economy, the council says that option would fail to ease congestion and journey times.
Instead the council has revealed it will pursue the 'hamburger island' with the road going across the island next to the electricity sub-station.
The report said: "The strategic impact of a through-road which reduces journey times and delays would be a positive benefit for businesses and commuters.
"Journey times would be more reliable and overall congestion would be reduced as fewer vehicles would have to circulate around the junction."
In total, 779 people responded through questionnaires with a further 350 comments posted to Sandwell Council through Facebook.
People responding to the consultation also asked for a better layout for lanes around Birchley Island after complaints they were too confusing for drivers.
A final decision will be taken by Sandwell Council's cabinet on Wednesday.
If funding and planning permission is approved work could start by 2015/16 and take around two years to complete.
