£50m funding bid for crucial Black Country road schemes

The money is needed to foot the bill for major improvements to the A4123 Birchley Island in Sandwell and A454 Black Country Route in Wolverhampton.

Both schemes – which come at a combined cost of £64m – are considered vital by council chiefs to ease the burden on two of the region's most gridlocked stretches of road.

Transport bosses at Midlands Connect need £29m for the Birchley Island scheme, which has been in the pipeline for years and has rocketed in cost by £3m over the last 12 months.

It was provisionally backed by £16.1m from the Black Country LEP, but bosses have now bid for £20m from a Department for Transport funding pot of £3.5bn for upgrades to major road networks.

The changes will see a “hamburger” style junction with a new road passing through the existing roundabout, as well as widened junctions and new traffic lights. It is hoped it will open in 2023.

'Millions will benefit'

Councillor Bob Lloyd, Sandwell Council's economy chief, said: “Birchley Island is one of our busiest junctions in Sandwell and this money from the Government would allow us to make much-needed improvements.

"Millions of road users from all over the region will benefit from making the island into a “hamburger” style junction.

"These improvements will enable traffic to flow more freely, meaning less harmful emissions from vehicles queuing in traffic.

“Better and quicker access to and from the motorway network will not only benefit our residents but also the many businesses in Sandwell and the wider Black Country who use this junction to export goods all over the world."

Meanwhile a bid for £29m has been submitted for the Black Country Route scheme, which is set to open in 2024.

It will cost £35m and will see the conversion of a section of Walsall Street and Lower Walsall Street to one-way, while the main route will be widened and a new junction will go in at Hickman Avenue.

Bosses say the remaining cash needed for both schemes will be paid for by "private and public sector sources".

Wolverhampton Council's environment boss, Councillor Steve Evans, said: "If successful, the funding will not only help deliver our improvements to the road network, but will also benefit residents, support the city’s wider regeneration scheme and hopefully attract more visitors to Wolverhampton.”

Overall, Midlands Connect has bid for nearly £600m to fund 11 schemes across the Midlands, including £33m for the Queensway Link in Telford.

Simon Statham of Midlands Connect said the schemes would lead to the creation of new jobs and homes, ease road congestion and help the environment.

"We are confident that we have provided all of the evidence the government needs to fund these schemes in full," he said.