£196 million package of Midlands road improvements announced
Millions of pounds will be invested in improving roads across the Midlands, it has been announced.
National Highways says it is part of a package of improvements worth £196 million to roads, pavements and bridges across the region.
Motorways and major A-roads including the M6, M5, M1 and A1, A5 and A43 are all included in the package.
Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are all set to benefit from the planned work, which includes road resurfacing, new road barriers and improvements to drainage to prevent flooding.
National Highways will invest in 141 schemes across the West Midlands, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and part of North Gloucestershire, as well as Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.
National Highways regional director for the Midlands, Andrew Jinks, said: “Hundreds of thousands of drivers travel through the Midlands every day for work journeys, home deliveries and the movement of the goods and services and major roads like the M1 and the M6 connect the Midlands to local roads and with the rest of the UK and the world via rail, ports and airports.
“So it’s essential we keep these roads in a good condition to ensure safety and reliability. With this investment, National Highways will continue to deliver the essential maintenance and upgrades throughout the region to improve safety and help keep drivers on the move.”
Roads minister Baroness Vere said: “We’re improving vital transport infrastructure across the Midlands, helping to create an economic hub with quick and easy connections to the rest of the UK.
“Investing millions in these essential schemes will provide a boost to the local area and beyond, as well as making journeys safer and easier for people across the country.”
This latest investment in the region’s roads follows on from last year’s essential maintenance programme which saw National Highways pump £186m into the completion of 195 road renewal and maintenance projects.
Over the previous 12 months, National Highways resurfaced 151.6 miles of motorways and major A-roads in the Midlands.
A further 41,613 road studs were laid to help light the way for drivers, 127.3 miles of safety barrier were renewed, with 36.2 miles of drainage improvements to reduce carriageway flooding and 76 new bridge joints.
Recent work involved repairs to damaged concrete hidden underground at Bromford Viaduct near junction six of the M6 (Spaghetti Junction).
This involved careful excavation of land around the base of the concrete columns, which had been damaged by water, so specialist teams could inject special resin into the foundations to strengthen the concrete. The six-month project was completed in May this year.
And at Spaghetti Junction itself, which celebrates 50 years since opening to traffic this year, a comprehensive £300,000 scheme earlier this year included resurfacing of the road and repairs to 10 joints which are designed to allow movement of the structure.
