Cold snap scuppers finish date for works

A £450,000 project to improve one of the Black Country's busiest traffic islands will finish by March 31, it has been revealed.

The Birchley Island, used by 92,000 drivers every day, is undergoing a major overhaul.

The scheme has seen new lighting, trees and shrubbery installed. The completion date comes as Sandwell's neighbourhood's boss revealed a further £50,000 will also be spent on new signage for all gateways into the borough. The Oldbury traffic island work was due to finish by the end of this month.

However, bosses say that the winter weath has delayed the scheme.

More than 100 trees planted as part of the scheme died following last month's snowfall and sub-zero temperatures and had to be replanted by contractors.

Neighbourhoods chief, Councillor Mahboob Hussain said: "With the weather there was a delay and some of the plants died because of the weather and the contractor has replaced those plants free of charge.

"We are still doing new lighting and new signage, but people are back on the site and I am confident the work will be completed by the end of next month."

Councillor Hussain has revealed that the new sign will read: Welcome to Oldbury – Proud to be part of Sandwell.

This will also be extended to the borough's other five town's as part of a £50,000 scheme to replace old signage in the borough.

He added: "Every gateway will have a new sign.

"It's only right that when people drive into Sandwell they do see the new signs which are up to welcome them to Sandwell."

More than 2,000 flowers and shrubs are being planted on the island, near Junction 2 of the M5, while more than 1,000 tons of soil, 300 tons of gravel and more than 400 tons of glacial boulders are being used in the scheme.

Most of the cash to spruce up the island has come from council funds.