Sainsbury's petrol station opens ahead of Wolverhampton superstore
A new petrol station which forms part of a £60 million supermarket development has now opened to customers.
Drivers can now fill up at the Sainsbury's store in Raglan Street, in Wolverhampton, after the wraps were taken off the 18-pump petrol station.
The rest of the highly-anticipated store will be opening on Wednesday.
Finishing touches are being put in place at the superstore, which will be known as Sainsbury's St Mark's.
The 72,000 sq ft store will have 700 parking spaces, an in-store cafe, recycling centre and will also have a gym.
Surrounding streets are also being renovated as part of the huge redevelopment, with Ring Road St Mark's having a new slip road for access to the petrol station.
Resurfacing work has taken place in Chapel Ash and Great Brickkiln Street, while traffic lights are being installed on Penn Road and Lea Road.
Sainsbury's press office Denis Fyfe said: "There are 18 pumps at the new petrol station which is now open.
"A mini Sainsbury's store will serve customers who use the petrol station ahead of the main supermarket opening next week."
A total of 340 jobs are being created as part of the opening and 192 employees from the St George's Parade store will be transferred to the new site.
The St George's store is due to close the day before the new supermarket opens, next Tuesday.
It is not yet clear what will happen to the former store although bosses say they have been in talks over its future.
The development follows a 10-year battle between supermarket giants Sainsbury's and Tesco, which reached the courts.
Both firms wanted to open on the site.
But Sainsbury's were victorious, which Tesco is now creating its own store on the former Royal Hospital site.
The work had got under way there but was dramatically halted. Bosses have however, pledged their commitment to the development, which will bring hundreds of new jobs and breathe new life into a vacant site.
The opening of the new Sainsbury's store is being hailed as a significant step for the city.
It is the latest in a string of planned developments in the city centre. Plans have been approved for the £30 million revamp of the Mander Centre, which will see a Debenhams store move in, creating 120 new jobs.
