Improvement works to start on M6
Work was starting today on a £400,000 scheme to cut congestion and improve traffic flow on a busy stretch of motorway in the Black Country.
The Highways Agency will begin work on upgrading traffic signals and improving pedestrian facilities at junction nine of the M6 at Wednesbury and the A461. Work is due to be completed by May 28 and as it takes place there will be seven weeks of overnight road closures and reduced speed limits in force.
All work will be carried out overnight, and when under way there will be closures of the M6 northbound and southbound exit slip roads at the junction, along with alternate closures of different sections of the roundabout.
Diversion routes will be clearly signposted. This work is part of the Government's £317 million "pinch point" improvement programme designed to boost local growth, reduce congestion and improve safety on the road network.
The programme provides smaller scale improvements that can deliver big returns by easing congestion and making journey times more reliable for road users, including hauliers and commuters, to help boost local economies and drive economic growth.
Highways Agency programme manager Helen Jamieson said: "Once complete, this improvement work will reduce congestion. The work has been planned carefully to take place when traffic levels are at their lowest to minimise disruption for motorists." The work will include new controllers, sensors and lights at the traffic junctions.
It will also improve access to the planned new Darlaston Enterprise Zone, which will unlock vacant industrial land close to the M6 to create thousands of new jobs.
The scheme will be among the first pinch point improvement schemes to be carried out in the West Midlands and is the start of a £50m upgrade to the region's roads.
More information about the work is available from the Highways Agency information line on 0300 123 5000 or by emailing ha_info@highways.gsi.gov.uk
