Bridge for i54 site now in place
Council chiefs today hailed the creation of a new bridge to link the M54 with a nearby business park, where a £500million engine factory for JLR is being built, as a 'major step forward'.
Junction 2 of the M54 where it meets the A449 is being extended to help cope with traffic using the i54 business park, on the South Staffordshire and Wolverhampton border.
A 500-ton bridge which will directly serve the site has been moved into place by a team of workers.
It is the first time any council in the country has built a dedicated motorway junction for a business site.
The 150ft bridge is made with steel beams and has a concrete deck.
It was wheeled along the motorway before being lowered into place while the route was closed overnight.
Work is now forging ahead to finish the new access to the site, with the new junction set to be completed by September.
The i54 business park will be home to Jaguar Land Rover which is currently building its new engine plant there.
Another firm, International Security Printers, is also poised to move onto the site.
Two companies are already based there – flight control systems company Moog, which has 400 workers, and Eurofins, a scientific testing company with 150 staff.
Staffordshire county councillor Mark Winnington said: "Having a dedicated junction for the i54 site has been one of the draws for leading businesses and so we're pleased to see it developing.
