£350m scheme delays drivers

Motorists in Lichfield are facing road closures from today as work continues on a £350million railway project.

Delays are likely for motorists using Fisherwick Road in Whittington, and both the north and southbound carriageways of the A38. The essential road closures are needed for work to be carried out safely.

It involves demolishing and installing bridges to make way for two additional tracks on the West Coast Mainline.

Network Rail's Trent Valley Four Tracking Project (TV4) will see the number of tracks doubled from two to four between Lichfield and Armitage.

Work is under way to install the extra two tracks, along with associated signalling and overhead line electrical equipment.

From today, and for the next four months, Fisherwick Road will be reduced to a single lane managed by traffic lights over the new bridge, which recently replaced the level crossing.

This is described as essential for the final work to be carried out to the bridge and new road alignment. Once the work is complete, the bridge will be open to two-way traffic.

Barrier

On the A38, there are several overnight closures earmarked for both the north and south carriageways in the coming weeks.

On the northbound carriageway, there will be four overnight closures from 8pm to 6am. The closures will be in force this Friday to install a safety barrier; on February 1 for road surfacing; on February 2 for the northbound carriageway to be re-aligned and on February 3 to re-align the safety barrier.

There will an overnight closure on the southbound carriageway from midnight to 6am on February 4 for realignment. "A diversion route will be clearly signed via the A5192 and the A5127," said a spokesman for Network Rail.

"From 6am on February 4, four narrow lanes of traffic will run on the southbound carriageway, two in each direction. A speed limit of 40mph will be in force for the safety of motorists."