Countdown for new red route

The creation of a red route in Sandwell will take 12 months, council bosses said today.

The first phase of the congestion-busting scheme along the All Saints Way and Newton Road from West Bromwich to Great Barr will begin within weeks.

Site clearance work will start at the beginning of November but the painting of red lines and other improvements will take a year to minimise the effect on traffic. Councillors gave the go-ahead for the scheme along the A4031 and A4041 in April despite concerns expressed by residents.

Hundreds of people signed a petition against the scheme which is costing £1.3million of government cash, and campaigners have pledged to form a human barricade to stop the lines being painted on the road.

All Saints Way resident Jagjeet Bajway said the scheme would have no impact on congestion, but would wipe value off homes and cause major difficulties for people living in the area.

Sandwell's neighbourhoods boss Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "We will be undertaking the work over a 12-month period to minimise the effect on traffic flows.

"Some site clearance work is planned for early November on the south side of Newton Road in advance of the construction of a cycle way along the Sandwell Valley section which is planned to start in late November.

"Some traffic management will be needed to ensure that the works are undertaken safely, but it is expected that any effect on traffic flows will be limited at this stage."

Approval has been given for a number of no-stopping red routes on the borough's busiest roads.

Around £1 million will be spent installing a red route on the A461 near Great Bridge and Dudley Port, despite objectors saying businesses could be crippled.

Sandwell has been allocated £8.6m under the West Midlands Local Transport Plan.