Roadworks lead to Wordsley tailbacks

Drivers along a busy main Black Country route were stuck in tailbacks of up to half an hour as workers resurfaced a stretch of the road.

Around 100 metres of the A491 Wordsley High Street, travelling towards Stourbridge from Wolverhampton, was closed off for the road repairs work for more than three hours yesterday. A three-way traffic management system caused tailbacks of more than half a mile in each direction, with many drivers turning back to find alternative routes.

The cones were removed by 4.30pm but further works are expected to take place throughout the week, finishing on Friday afternoon.

People travelling on the road said they couldn't believe the length of the tailbacks yesterday afternoon.

"When we got to the former Mad O'Rourke's pub we came to a standstill for ages," said a 26-year-old man who was travelling on the 1.20pm bus from Stourbridge to Wolverhampton.

"Then we had to queue again at the junction with Brierley Hill Road. It took us over 20minutes just to get through Wordsley.

"The traffic was backed up for at least half a mile and it was even worse in the other direction, going into Stourbridge," he said.

Council spokesman Phil Parker said: "The planned re-surfacing works are taking place at the quietest time of the year, during the school summer holidays, in a bid to cause as little disruption as possible to motorists.

"It is planned the works on High Street and Lawnswood Road, which will resolve issues with potholes, will be completed on Friday afternoon."

Further along the route to Wolverhampton, the A449 Penn Road has been made one-way for six weeks causing traffic misery for motorists.

Drivers travelling from the city centre are being diverted down Coalway Road and then Warstones Road, rejoining the A449 at the Lloyd Hill roundabout.

A 200-metre section of Goldthorn Hill, between Penn Road and Rookery Lane, has also become one-way.

By Charlotte Cross