Wolverhampton roadworks causing further chaos as council's list out of date

The list on Wolverhampton City Council's website has not been updated for three weeks, despite a maze of barriers, cones and warning signs causing a daily commuting nightmare for motorists.

Tram tracks are being dug up, prompting closures and tailbacks, while various streets in the city centre are being re-laid, with traffic diverted.

See also: Wolverhampton motorists driven mad: Drivers sent on one-mile diversion around city centre by wrong road signs.

Meanwhile, temporary traffic lights are in force at the busy Rock junction in Tettenhall and part of Bridgnorth Road in Compton is shut for emergency repairs to the roads, which do not appear on the council's out-of-date list as the work started at the weekend.

Neither does work at the Vine Island in Fordhouses, although it has its own entry on the council website. The road is being upgraded to cope with additional traffic going to the i54 business park, where the Queen will formally open Jaguar Land Rover's engine plant tomorrow.

And now a 25-day project to replace traffic lights along Bilston Road has also got under way.

It comes as the council has been heavily criticised over the roadworks and how it has conducted them.

Yet Wolverhampton City Council's list of projects gives many example of schemes that were supposed to have been finished in 'mid October' or earlier.

The official list, for the week commencing October 6, was still on the council's website this week.

Of 26 projects on the list, 19 have 'completion dates' that are now in the past.

It means drivers who were trying to avoid the chaos at the Rock would have struggled to work out an alternative route using the official sources.

It lists temporary lights in Pendeford Avenue, Fordhouses, which were due to have been removed on October 8 as well as work in Princess Street, which has a finishing date of 'mid-October'.

Highway resurfacing in Wobaston Road is still listed, with a finishing date of September 29.

See also: Wolverhampton traffic wardens targeting buses.

The council's list says there is a diversion around The Droveway, Blaydon Road, Oxley Moor Road and Stafford Road. Yet traffic can currently go along Wobaston Road, even though work is still taking place.

Councillor Wendy Thompson, opposition Conservative leader, said: "It says all you need to know that the council could not even update a simple list for three weeks, let alone properly consult with people."

Sham Sharma of the Wolverhampton Business Form said traders had lost out. "Some were only told a few days before work started. Some of this work in the city centre could have been done at night to minimise the impact on businesses."

Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence apologised for the disruption.

He said: "I am going to suggest a scrutiny group look at the programming of roadworks in terms of timing and getting work done more quickly. The issue in Compton had to be dealt with this week while the schools are off and I apologise to anyone affected."

Some of the work, including the Metro, has turned out more complicated than bosses had expected.

Transport authority Centro said it had had to carry out extra work to deal with other problems it found when replacing the tram tracks.

Spokesman Mark Langford said: "Once we started work we found that the foundations in some significant areas of the route were in a much poorer condition than expected and we are now carrying out extra work to deal with this.

"There have also been some inconsistencies with what we have found in the ground compared to what the original plans, which were drawn up more than 15 years ago, indicated.

"In order to minimise the impact of these changes we are accelerating the works through increasing the working hours on site, where appropriate and safe to do so this will mean 24 hour working.

"Once completed we will have a rail in place that will have a shelf life of 30 years and a track formation that will provide a more reliable service into Wolverhampton with the opportunity to turn the trams back at The Royal, closer to the city centre should any problems arise at the ring road or St George's. Also, some of the work undertaken now will help with the future extension of the route towards the railway station."