A funding bid to overhaul one of the Black Country’s busiest commuter routes will be submitted within days, it has been announced.

Sandwell and Dudley Councils want to replace Burnt Tree Island with a series of traffic lights in a £10 million scheme.

They got Department of Transport support after a public inquiry last year and Dudley Council says finishing touches to the bid for Government cash are being carried out, with it likely to be submitted next week.

Work involves turning the junction into a crossroads with signals. Tividale Road will be diverted to a new set of signals on the Birmingham New Road. Better pedestrian access and cycle lanes are also planned.

Sandwell Council transport chief Bob Badham said today they had worked hard behind the scenes and hoped to get the final go ahead.

Objections from firms including West Bromwich transport firm Keltruck Ltd were ruled out at the public inquiry. The two councils met last week to work on the funding bid.