Fresh misery facing motorists

Motorists are facing further travel misery between Wolverhampton and Stourbridge after it was revealed more works will start tomorrow.

Severn Trent will today complete a three-week programme taking place at Himley, which has brought traffic mayhem to the Black Country. But the utility giant has confirmed temporary traffic lights will be in operation at the junction of School Road with the A449 from tomorrow morning, just 300 yards from the site of the previous water works.

And roads in Wombourne will close from Monday as part of a £2 million sewer works programme. Smallbrook Lane will be closed until February 8 between its junctions with Gilbert Lane and School Road, while Battlefield Hill will shut from February 11 to February 22 between Battlefield Lane and Stourbridge Road.

The news is a body-blow to drivers who will fear a repeat of the chaotic scenes when the original works to replace water mains started earlier this month.

Rush-hour motorists spent more than an hour bumper to bumper on the major transport route and drivers trying to avoid the congestion at Himley clogged up roads in Wombourne, Trysull, Swindon and Gornal.

Bosses at Severn Trent apologised for the delays, which they blamed on temporary lights being out of sequence. The lights were adjusted the next day but were still adding between 10 and 20 minutes to commuters' journeys.

Severn Trent spokeswoman, Sophie Jordan, said the use of permanent lights had now been restored at the busy junction.

And she revealed the three-week closure of High Arcal Road between The Straits and Himley, also scheduled to start on Monday, had been postponed until the A449 work is finished.

But she claimed traffic problems on the A449 would be less acute than those caused by the previous works.

"With the other works there were four lanes of traffic going into a three-way traffic light system," she said.