M6 Toll junction is to undergo £2m revamp
More than £2 million has been secured to improve an "utter mess" of a junction in South Staffordshire which sees commuters stuck in daily bottlenecks, it was announced today.
Work on the flawed Churchbridge interchange in Cannock will start next year.
MPs Gavin Williamson and Aidan Burley had lobbied for action at the strategic junction which incorporates three roundabouts connecting the A5, M6 Toll, A460 Cannock Eastern Bypass and the A34.
It was last rebuilt in 2004 for the opening of the M6 Toll but drivers have been caught up in long queues along the A460 and A34, particularly during rush hour.
The £2.03m of improvements will involve a series of realignments of the carriageways at various approaches, as well as work on sections of the roundabout to increase capacity during peak periods. The scheme is due to be completed by March 2015.
Mr Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, met Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin to push the need for funding. He said the work would sort out many long-standing problems at the spot.
"This investment is a major boost for local people and for local business. It should make a difference to this utter mess of a set of roundabouts that have been badly designed and have caused so many problems," he said.
The MPs supported an application by the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire LEP and Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP to access Government funding for the work.
Mr Burley, who represents Cannock Chase, said the improvement would reduce delays during the morning and evening rush hour. "This is great news not only for those local people and businesses who use the junction on a daily basis but also for the wider local economy," he said.
It is one of 58 schemes designed to reduce congestion on motorways and major A roads in the third and final stage of the Highways Agency's Pinch Point programme.
The Government set aside an additional £100 million for the project in last year's Autumn Statement. It will bring an estimated £1.4 billion of economic benefit.
Today's announcement brings the total investment for the Pinch Point programme to £317 million, covering 119 schemes.
Roads minister Stephen Hammond said: "The Government is committed to cutting congestion and accelerating growth. That is why the Chancellor injected an extra £100 million into the Highways Agency Pinch Point programme last autumn
