Slip roads around a notorious motorway junction in Sandwell could be widened as part of a congestion-busting scheme, transport chiefs have revealed.

Major improvements have been earmarked to improve capacity at Junction 9 of the M6 at Wednesbury in a bid to ease queues at the traffic hotspot.

It is hoped work could be completed as early as 2010. Funding first needs to be obtained.

The ambitious plans could provide a major boost to commuters and businesses in Sandwell and Walsall, as well as shoppers visiting the retail parks and major stores such as Ikea which are based around the junction.

The improvements would also benefit hundreds of workers expected to take up jobs at the new multi-million pound Opus 9 development, which includes warehouses and plans for a new hotel.

The capacity enhancement project has been flagged up as a priority in the Black Country Core Strategy, which sets out a list of regeneration schemes drawn up by the area’s four local authorities, with funding options now being explored.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for transport and regeneration Councillor Bob Badham said the authority had been pushing for improvements at the junction for a long time.

He said detailed proposals still needed to be ironed out in consultation with the Highways Agency and funding had not yet been secured for the project, but it was something they were keen to push forward.

“There is a tremendous amount of development going on around that junction and taking place in Wednesbury. Obviously it’s essential that improvements are made to that tremendously busy junction.”

Highways Agency spokeswoman Annie Harris said: “We are currently liaising with the Black Country authorities to help them take forward their core strategy.”

By Chris Gorman