Roadworks will mean no repairs for 20 years

Major roadworks on a busy dual carriageway in South Staffordshire mean it will not need to be maintained for around 20 years, bosses said today.

It is expected fewer potholes and cracks will appear on the A449 Stafford Road near Coven as a result of the £2.2 million project, meaning it will not need to be closed again for patches to be resurfaced for another two decades.

Six weeks of roadworks along the route are half way to being completed. But the stretch will close again over the next two weekends for the project.

It means drivers will have to take a 17-mile detour.

Around 20 people a day work on the project and about 30 at night.

Work includes resurfacing the carriageway with an improved skid-resistant surface, replacing part of the central reserve safety fence, improving the pedestrian crossing point in the central reserve, as well as white-line painting and upgrading the 'cat's eyes' markings along the route.

Wayne Morris, project manager for the Highways Agency, said: "Hopefully we won't have to go back to the road every so often to close lane and repair patches.

"We aim for this to last at least 20 years.

"By doing a proper job of it like this it reduces the need for more work later on."

Residents have to follow a convoy system to get to their homes when the road is closed.

Drivers trying to get to Coven have to take a 17-mile diversion along the M54 to junction three then back along the A5 to the Gailey roundabout.

Work is due to start further along the A449 at the Vine Island in Fordhouses in the summer.

Around £3 million will be spent moving the roundabout and adding lanes in preparation for businesses such as Moog and Jaguar Land Rover opening at the i54 business park.

There will also be around 18 months of work taking place in order to build a £36.7m extension of the M54 slip roads at junction 2 so that vehicles can get to the i54.