Midland Metro extension to bring year-long chaos to Wolverhampton roads

The £15 million new line will run along Piper's Row and Railway Drive linking the existing Wolverhampton St George's stop with the railway station.

Road closures will be put in place at times during preparatory works which bosses revealed will start in May and last for almost a year.

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There is expected to be disruption along Pipers Row, Victoria Square and Railway Drive. Tower Street and Castle Street may also be affected. The streets are already often clogged with traffic.

Wolverhampton council is working alongside Centro to prevent long tailbacks with plans in place to re-route buses and coaches currently using Piper's Row.

Bob Willis, urban traffic control manager at the council, said: "The first stage is likely to be around mid-May. They will start the utility works, that will be quite disruptive, probably more disruptive than laying the track and it will have a life of its own.

"That is going to last around 12 months. We are trying to keep it open as much as we can but there will be some road closures at some times."

The initial works will see utilities and preparatory work, moving gas, water and electric supplies before the track laying begins next March.

Tram stops are proposed either side of Piper's Row near Castle Street and Centro bosses say the line could eventually be extended further towards New Cross Hospital.

Centro spokesman, Mark Langford, said they could not yet say exactly what traffic management plans would be put in place until the full extent of the utilities work required was known.

He added: "We are still waiting for the Transport and Works Order to be approved by the Government.

"Until that comes through we cannot begin work on moving utilities but we are planning preparatory works in anticipation of the order being granted in the next few months.

"We have also been working closely with Wolverhampton council to ensure that once work does start we can keep the city moving.

"Provision of bus shelters has already been made on Bilston Street to accommodate buses off Pipers Row, while the new Wolverhampton Coach Link at the St George's stop is already under construction to enable coaches to be moved off Pipers Row and out of the path of the utility works and the tram operation."

Tim Johnson, strategic director for place at the council, stressed that the authority would be working with businesses to keep disruption to a minimum.

"If the city is going to change and get the improvement and investment it needs, sometimes along the way there will be a lot of turbulence because that is the nature of the beast."

"Having proper transport into the city is a really important part of our strategy for connectivity. It gives us real, genuine connectivity."