Second phase of £1m flood works to start

Roadworks costing almost £1 million and aimed at helping to prevent flooding in Wolverhampton are due to move into their second phase this week.

The work has already seen one road closed for almost three months but the firm behind the project, Severn Trent Water, today warned the project will continue to run well into the summer.

Green Lane in Aldersley has been closed since February 23 while the water firm has been carrying out the flood alleviation work, which is due to finish on Friday – a week behind schedule. Severn Trent engineers are already working in nearby Blakeley Rise, which is also shut, and say the final part of the scheme will take place in Blakeley Avenue, which is facing a six-week closure.

While Green Lane has been closed motorists have been forced to follow a diversion along Aldersley Road, Blackburn Avenue and Pendeford Avenue.

Green Lane resident John Collins, aged 70, said: "We are totally fed up.

"Nobody likes to wake up in the morning and see a crane down the road, with dust and dirt everywhere.

"It's annoying for me because I like to walk my dog, but you can't do that so easily because of the fencing the workmen put up in the street.

"I'll be glad to see the back of it."

Brian Crew, aged 24, an IT worker from Green Lane, said the work had been "a hassle".

The project includes installing a storage tank to support the current combined sewerage system, as well as replacing an existing surface water drainage pipe with a larger pipe to allow more capacity to flow through and help prevent flooding.

Grace Marren, spokeswoman for Severn Trent Water, said: "We started work in February when we had to unfortunately close Green Lane and put diversions in place.

"We have now moved the work into Blakeley Rise and plan to re-open Green Lane on Friday.

"We will be in Blakeley Rise until July 14, before entering the final stages of the scheme in Blakeley Avenue."

Severn Trent says the project should be completed by the start of September.