Birchley Island revamp ready for next stage after multi-million pound cash sum agreed

Preparation works on a £26 million scheme which will see major changes at a notorious roundabout are set to be formally approved by council bosses.

Could work be on the way to ease traffic jams and improve safety at Birchley Island?

Long-awaited work to make the Birchley Island in Oldbury a ‘hamburger’ roundabout is to move forward after the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership provisionally allocated £16.1 million towards the scheme.

Sandwell Council now needs compulsory purchase orders for land needed for the development to allow the works to go ahead.

The island is one of the most congested spots in the Black Country and has been the scene of 32 serious accidents in the last five years.

Schoolboy Kyle Bastable, aged 11, was on his way home when he was struck near Birchley Island in August last year.

The Wolverhampton Road will pass through the island as part of the changes.

The so-called hamburger island would see a road created through the middle to ease congestion

Councillor leader Steve Eling said: “This is welcome news because the Birchley Island is a very congested junction which causes long delays and frustration for thousands of local motorists and drivers passing through.

“The main problem is that the island is used by so many motorists who do not have an alternative route to the motorways or into Oldbury. It is a junction I avoid at all times.

“The new hamburger system will improve the congestion problems even though it will always be a busy junction and the improvements will have a positive impact on bus services and for local motorists.

“It will also be good news for the many Black Country businesses who use the junction to transport goods through the junction onto the regional and national networks.”

Councillor Eling said there would also be benefits to road safety, with improved junction control, lane marking and improved pedestrian and cycle facilities which should reduce accidents.

He said the Black Country LEP decision on finance meant that work should go ahead in the near future because the cash offer was dependent on it being spent by the end of 2021.

Council bosses in Sandwell have been seeking a solution to the problems faced by drivers at the Birchley Island on a daily basis for years.

Difficulties in securing funding have prevented the scheme from going ahead. It is hoped allowing traffic to pass directly through the island will cut congestion and improve journey times. Tens of thousands of vehicles use the island every day at Junction 2 of the M5.spent by the end of 2021.