Big clean-up underneath M6 Spaghetti Junction
Engineers have been drafted in to clear up a mountain of rubbish that has accumulated underneath Spaghetti Junction.
Items dumped at the River Tame underneath junction six of the M6 at Gravelly Hill include a shopping trolley, traffic cones, plastic and other waste.
Trees, weeds and branches were also removed in the two-day clean-up.
Environment Agency officers visit the site regularly to reduce the risk of flooding and there are six-monthly inspections at the site.
Sharon Robinson, media and campaigns manager, said: "Officers have been removing debris at the River Tame at Gravelly Hill. This is standard removal as the debris builds up over time. Regular inspections are conducted at the site and depending on the outcome of these inspections, work is then scheduled to clean it up if it is needed," she added.
"Clearing usually takes a couple of days to complete and this has now been finished under Spaghetti Junction, but if the debris was left to accumulate, it could cause flooding."
Workers used a mechanical digger to help with the operation to enable the river to flow freely.
Spaghetti Junction covers 30 acres on a site which also takes in two railway lines, three canals, and two rivers – the Tame and the Rea.
Work started in June to turn part of the M6, including Spaghetti Junction, into a managed motorway.
Once completed, the £126.4million scheme between junction 5 at Castle Bromwich and junction 8 for the M5 will cut congestion, make journey times more reliable and improve safety through the use of variable mandatory speed limits.
It will also open the hard shoulder as an extra running lane to ease congestion at peak hours. Construction firm Carillion is carrying out the work, which is expected to be completed in 2014.
