Link road between M54 and M6 ‘will destroy communities’
A new link road connecting two motorways will carve up the countryside and mean communities are ‘lost forever’, it is claimed.
The road will join the M54 and M6 in a bid to reduce congestion for thousands of vehicles.
But fears have been raised that the new route will result in the end of some communities and noise pollution for those that remain.
Defence Secretary and MP for South Staffordshire, Gavin Williamson, people were rightly concerned about it.
“This is a link road that’s long been needed,” he said.
“It’s something that local residents have wanted to see happen for quite some time to take traffic off the A460.
“I will be taking up a lot of the concerns that residents have to Highways England. It’s trying to make sure that this route has the least impact on them – and not just short term but long term too, like protecting them from noise pollution.
“There are concerns about the proximity of the road to a number of houses as well.”
Plans were unveiled yesterday by Highways England for a new link road connecting the two motorways.
The multi-million pound route is expected to slash up to 30 minutes off journeys for regular commuters each week and promises to take 22,000 vehicles a day from the A460 – making that major road from Cannock to Wolverhampton less congested.
It will also ease congestion on the A449 and the A5 by separating local traffic from long-distance and commuter traffic.
Mr Williamson added: “I’ve contacted Highways and what I want to do is get the concerns of all local residents and make sure they are heard at a senior level.
“I’m due to meet the Secretary of State for Transport to discuss this in more detail.”
Chairman of Essington Parish Council, David Clift, said it was a case of ‘mixed feelings’ when he heard the news. On one hand we’re over the moon in Essington as it’s the best possible outcome for us,” he said.
“But there’s no cause for celebration when neighbouring communities and parts of Hilton Hall will be destroyed and lost forever.
“A case of very mixed feelings for me.
“It seems to be the cheapest option as it’s a straight line and the shortest route, but there’s the impact it will have on peoples lives when these communities and the greenbelt are ripped up.”
The route was chosen after a consultation that saw nearly three quarters of respondents give it support. Project manager Andrew Kelly, from Highways England, said: “We want to provide a road that works for both drivers and also the local community living near by. Once completed, it will also relieve traffic congestion on the A460, A449 and A5, improve safety and support economic growth for the Midlands.”
Currently, the M54 merges with the M6 southbound at junction 10a. This means northbound road users must leave the motorway network and take other routes to connect with the M6 north at junction 11 or 12, or the toll road at junction T8, to continue their journey.
The A460 currently carries about 26,500 vehicles each day with heavy goods vehicles making up about 10 per cent of this figure. Highways England consulted on three options for a new route, and will now take forward its preferred route, which is based on ‘Option B West’.
This option is the shortest route and could save regular commuters around 30 minutes a week. It will include a two-lane dual carriageway link road between M54 junction 1 and M6 junction 11.
Highways England will be carrying out further work including surveys and investigation work to help design the scheme in greater detail.
