£10m work to stop Walsall jams could start in two years
A £10 million congestion-busting scheme along a main route could start within two years, it has emerged.
The busy A461 Lichfield Road, which runs through Walsall town centre and Brownhills, has been earmarked for new junctions, upgraded traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.
The project is subject to government funding and an initial £155,000 has been set aside to develop the proposals in the next financial year.
A report as part of Walsall Council's draft budget shows more than £3.8m could be invested in the project in 2015/16, with more set aside for later years. However, this would be dependent on securing funding.
Regeneration and transport chief Councillor Adrian Andrew said: "We are currently at the design and feasiblity stage of this work.
"We are using capital programme money to work on designs for the A461.
"As we are still in the early stages of this work we can't confirm timescales as yet."
A report to the council in relation to the proposals states: "The A461 corridor highway improvements scheme seeks to address the issue of growing congestion and the lack of traffic capacity along this strategic route.
"The scheme includes updating four major junctions in the corridor, which involves rearranging the existing layouts, updating the traffic signals, updating all pedestrian crossings, and installing CCTV cameras along the route."
It has been recognised as one of the priority schemes for the borough alongside work to expand the island above junction 10 of the M6 at Walsall.
The plan includes new bridges over the motorway, which will double in width to four lanes, while there will also be improvements at Bloxwich Lane and modifications to the Black Country Route.
