Asbestos fear for residents over M5 roadworks

People living nearby say they are 'worried' about the scheme – which they fear could pose a risk to their health.

However, Highways England has insisted it has a plan in place for 'a safe method of working' and that the asbestos is considered to be 'stable and low risk'.

Major work to repair the Oldbury viaduct, which will see the speed limit cut to 30mph on junction 1 for West Bromwich and junction 2 for Oldbury, starts this month and will last until the end of 2018.

The work has been described as 'essential' and will cost £100 million. However nearby resident Natalie Pearce, who suffers from asthma, said she still fears it could pose a risk.

She said: "They're saying that it's not dangerous but we don't think there is any guarantee that the asbestos won't escape into open air.

"There's a lot of us who are really angry and worried because we live in a street right by the motorway. It's bad enough that the pollution will be even worse because of cars being diverted off the motorway and outside our house but now there's the asbestos worry.

"We didn't know it would be such a major construction."

The 41-year-old added: "There's quite a few children on the street which is a worry too. So on top of fumes from the lorries and cars stuck in the traffic and roadworks, there's now the asbestos."

However, Highways England has stated that the asbestos will be 'safely' removed.

Alastair Warnes, project manager for Highways England, said: "We identified early on during our survey of the Oldbury Viaduct that asbestos had been used during its construction in the late 1960s. This was a common and widely used building material at the time.

"We have a plan agreed in principle with the Health and Safety Executive and the asbestos specialists with various options to identify, confirm condition, manage and safely remove the asbestos containing materials and dispose of the waste.

"The asbestos used in construction of the M5 motorway viaduct structures is bound within cement materials and is therefore considered to be stable and low risk. A safe method of working has been put in place to safely remove the materials using a specialist licensed contractor.

"Asbestos is often found in older buildings and structures and today there are tried and tested methods of removing the material without any health risks to workers on the site or to residents.

"We wish to reassure residents that safety is always our top priority and all activities will be monitored, including air quality checks, to ensure no asbestos fibres are released and the waste materials are safely disposed of."