Warning over Dudley congestion as roadworks continue
A councillor has warned Dudley could be congested for months to come - unless council bosses sort out traffic issues on a busy island.
Councillor Shaukat Ali was speaking as ongoing roadworks at Castle Gate Island have brought long delays.
Temporary traffic lights are in place at the island so Dudley Council can carry out work around air quality.
The work is expected to continue until November - meaning motorists could face months of traffic disruption.
Councillor Ali, a ward councillor for St Thomas's ward, said: "On Monday night there was a queue which stretched from Castle Gate Island all the way to Flood Street island."
He continued: "The traffic issue flow needs to be resolved as soon as possible.
"If the council can't manage the flow of traffic effectively in these roadworks - which have caused gridlock - then there will be more nightmare traffic to come.
"What will happen when they start on work to bring the Metro tram through Dudley? There will be more gridlock to come."
The roadworks around Castle Gate Island are part of a £1.5 million project to improve air quality in Dudley.
The council says it is installing more efficient traffic signals at the island to reduce emissions.
They money has been delivered through a government grant and Dudley is addressing two key locations, with the other being Wordsley High Street.
Following long delays around the island, Dudley Council has this week tried to improve traffic by changing the timings of the temporary traffic lights.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental, highways and street services, said: “We have had discussions with our contractors and made changes to the timings of the traffic signals on the island today.
"As a result of this, we would now expect to see improvements in terms of traffic flow during peak periods.
“However, there will still inevitably be disruption and delays to journeys during the works and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. We would urge motorists to consider using alternative routes while the works are ongoing.
“We continue to carry out the bulk of the work overnight and during quieter traffic periods.”
