£78 million M6 Junction 10 project will be ready in time for Commonwealth Games

There are, however, further closures set to take place over the next month into February which motorists need to be aware of.

The next stage of the work at Junction 10, between Wolverhampton and Walsall, will see drainage installed across the site and concrete poured to strengthen the deck of the north and south bridges.

The old bridges are being replaced by new, wider structures to carry more traffic over the motorway.

National Highways Project Manager, Annie Hyett, said: “Work is progressing very well on the upgrade and we remain on track to finish in spring this year.

“The next phase of the work, taking place this month, is to pour the concrete which will strengthen the decks of the new north and south bridges and we’re continuing to install drainage across the site.

“People using the junction and those who live in the area are really starting to see the new junction take shape now and will soon be reaping the benefits of the improved, wider and safer roads.”

To allow for work to be complete, multiple closures are scheduled including overnight closures of the M6 and local roads.

The first will take place overnight on Saturday, January 15, from 10pm until 9am, between the exit and entry slip roads at junction 10 of the M6.

During these works, the ‘up and over’ diversion will be in place during these closures, as previously used.

Traffic using the motorway will follow an ‘up and over’ diversion at Junction 10 which will leave the motorway at the junction, travel over the roundabout and then re-join the M6 on the other side.

From January 24 to 26 there will be full closures of the A454 Wolverhampton Road East from Bloxwich Lane to the junction 10 roundabout between 10pm and 5am.

Following this, between, January 31 and February 11 there will be closures on Wolverhampton Road West from 8pm to 5am and a closure of the northbound exit slip between 9pm and 5am.

In addition, between February 3 and 4 there is a full closure of the A454 westbound, Black Country Route, from 9pm-5am.

Any further motorway closures required will be announced at least seven days before they are due to take place.

Ahead of work starting on the project bosses said the bridges at the site were at the end of their serviceable life.

It is believed they they would have required increasing levels of maintenance and may have required weight limits should this project not have been undertaken. In September this year, long delays were caused when traffic had to be diverted from the junction which was closed to allow for beams for the new bridge structures to be put in place.

The project has seen more than 3,050 cubic metres of concrete has been poured, 117 pre-cast concrete panels have been installed, 1,682 tons of reinforced and structural steel has been fitted and 10,000 tons of road surfacing has been laid.

Meanwhile, the project reached the milestone of 500,000 hours of work in December 2021. The junction is set to be completed this year.