A449/B4176 roadworks: All you need to know about major works affecting motorists for the next month
Here is what motorists need to know as more than a month of major roadworks gets underway at a crucial commuter junction on the edge of the Black Country today.
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Staffordshire County Council crews will carry out the works at a cost of £860,000 which will involve the complete re-construction of the junction of the A449 (Wolverhampton Road) and the B4176 (Himley Road) between today and September 22.
Road surfaces will be relayed and new traffic light detection sensors installed. The work will also include the cutting back of trees and shrubs, repairs to verges and damaged street furniture and the refreshing of road markings.
Expensive, high quality, longer lasting materials are to be used on the resurfacing which should reduce the need for future works.
Conservative councillors Mark Webb (Kingswinford and Wall Heath) and Kerry Lewis (Wordsley North) said they have negotiated a reduced length of closure and an alternative diversion route, though Councillor Webb acknowledged "this is not going to be popular with some of our residents - but we unfortunately do not have the legal powers to prevent these works from being carried out".
Posting on Facebook, Councillor Lewis said: "The original proposed diversion route was excessive and involved traffic being diverted via Wolverhampton, Sedgley, Dudley town centre and back along the A4101 to Kingswinford.
"This was not acceptable and I have negotiated a reduced length of closure and an alternative diversion route."
The schedule for the work up to and including September 17 is as follows.
August 19-22: Daytime lane closures on A449 only. Traffic to be restricted to one lane in each direction. May result in some congestion in Kingswinford on the A491.
August 23: Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Road with three way signals.
August 27: Nighttime closure of Dudley Road with three way signals. May result in some congestion on the B4176 junction of Dudley Road and Himley Road.
August 28-29: Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Rd with three way signals.
August 30 and September 3: Nighttime closure of Dudley Road. May result in some congestion on the B4176 Dudley Road and Himley Road.
September 4 and 6: Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Road with three way signals.
September 9 and 12: Nighttime closure of Dudley Road with three way signals. May result in some congestion on the B4176 Dudley Road and Himley Road.
September 4-6 : Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Road with three way signals.
September 9-12: Nighttime closure of Dudley Road with three way signals. May result in some congestion on B4176 Dudley Road and Himley Road.
September 13: Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Road with three way signals.
September 16: Nighttime closure of Dudley Road with three way signals. May result in some congestion on B4176 Dudley Road and Himley Road.
September 17: Nighttime closure of Bridgnorth Road with three way signals.
During the closures, the diversion route will follow Stallings Lane, Cinder Road, Himley Road, High Arcal Road, The Straits, Sandyfields Road, Cotwall End Road, Gospel End Road and Wodehouse Lane and vice versa.
Councillor Webb continued: "This diversion and length of closure is far more acceptable than directing the residents of Kingswinford through Dudley and Sedgley, all of which have been suffering from previous and ongoing works."
