Businesses lose out as Merry Hill roadworks drive customers away

Businesses on Quarry Bank High Street said trade had plummeted as people stayed away due to congestion caused by the roadworks.

Traffic lights next to the shopping centre are being upgraded in a bid to ease congestion. But the scheme has led to long delays in the area and traders say people are choosing to avoid queues and are going elsewhere.

The work is expected to continue for another six weeks. Butcher Tony Jewess said: "It has been going on for two months now and it is affecting all the traders.

"They won't come because they don't want to wait half an hour to come up Thorns Road.

"I don't understand why they don't do it at night, they could do it in half the time."

High Street is also being resurfaced from 7pm on the evenings, which Mr Jewess said was also hitting shops that stay open later.

Council bosses said the two schemes were running at the same time to avoid further disruption in the future.

John Walker, who is also a butcher at Hawthorne and Walker Fine Foods, estimates he is losing more than £1,000 a week.

He said: "People can't get in. A lot of people travel to our shop but they are just avoiding the area. The first Saturday they started the traffic was all the way down to Cradley Heath until three in the afternoon. I lost £400 that day."

Traffic signals are being upgraded to allow traffic to move more freely around the busy shopping centre.

Improvements are being made at the A4036 Merry Hill, The Boulevard, the Coppice Lane junction, the A4036 Merry Hill, Mount Pleasant and High Street.

Alan Lunt, strategic director of the place directorate at Dudley Council, said: "We're always looking for new ways to improve traffic flow across the borough's roads for the benefit of motorists.

"We are currently half way through a three-month programme of essential works.

"We are committed to keeping any disruption to a minimum and have organised the works."