Drivers face new year roadworks chaos through Dudley
Drivers are facing new year roadworks chaos, with a major scheme to close a main road in one direction sending traffic on long detours.
Carriageway reconstruction work will be taking place on the B4179 Commonside in Pensnett from the first week of January, forcing traffic heading south to be diverted past Russells Hall Hospital.
A temporary one-way route will come into force, with only traffic heading north able to access the road which is often clogged with traffic heading towards Merry Hill shopping centre.
The one-way system will be running between 9.30am and 3.30pm and is scheduled to be in place for three weeks.
Traffic coming from the direction of Kingswinford face a three-mile detour taking motorists to the other side of the Fens Pools Nature Reserve.
Drivers will have to travel along High Street, past the hospital, onto Pensnett Road and Stourbridge Road, down through Woodside towards Brierley Hill before getting back onto John Street.
It will also mean more traffic is pushed onto the busy Stourbridge Road.
The area where work will take place will stretch from Corbyns Hall Road down to Bryce Road.
Motorists have been advised to give themselves more time for their journeys or consider finding another route.
Dudley Council said the work had been planned outside peak times in order to create as little disruption as possible. Bosses said clear diversion signs would be in place to guide motorists.
Pensnett councillor Karen Jordan said the work would cause significant disruption in the area.
She said: "I understand letters will go out to residents along Commonside and that the council will try to get it done during the day time to minimise disruption.
"But it is going to affect people but it is work that has got to be done.
"I just hope disruption is kept to a minimum. It is a major road but this is just something that has to be done."
It is the latest roadworks scheme to be announced for the new year.
Temporary traffic lights are set to go up on Doulton Road, Rowley Regis on January 3 as part of a scheme which is expected to last for a whole year.
A new 200-home development is being connected to gas, water and electricity.
