Black Country Museum and Dudley Zoo link-up work to start

Work is set to start in the coming weeks on a long-awaited project to link Dudley Zoo and the Black Country Living Museum, it was revealed today.

A new joint entrance will be built for both sites with a link road and a new car park in a bid to attract one million visitors a year.

The Castle Hill regeneration project kicked off in April when work started on the new £6 million archives building in Tipton Road. The next phase of the scheme is expected to begin sometime in June. It is hoped the work will be complete by the end of the year.

The project includes a new joint entrance and visitor centre for the attractions so people can pay to access all the sites together. A new road will also run between the museum and zoo, while a car park with up to 1,000 spaces will cater for all the sites.

The road will run from near the former Trading Post premises in Castle Hill to the back of the museum in Tipton Road. It will also provide access to Dudley Canal Trust at the back of the museum. The plans became a reality when a bid for £4.5m of European funding was approved last year.

Dudley Council leader David Sparks said: "Preparations are well under way on the Castle Hill regeneration project, which is expected to bring thousands of extra visitors to the attractions, and work is expected to start shortly."