'Real progress' made on £600 million motorway projects including M6 revamp
More than £600 million worth of motorway projects are making 'real progress', according to the country's top highways executive.
Jim O'Sullivan, chief executive of Highways England, said five major projects – including the improvement of junction 10 of the M6 between Wolverhampton and Walsall – will bring more jobs and boost the region's economy.
He made the comments as he gave the opening speech of a two-day Highways UK event at the NEC in Birmingham.
He said: " "We are currently delivering more than £15 billion of investment in over 100 major schemes across England that will enhance, renew and improve the network and it's fantastic to see key projects like these in the Midlands making real progress.
"The Midlands is at the heart of England's strategic road network and investment in schemes like these benefits the whole country. This region really is the 'Midlands Engine' which drives the country."
He said that planning is set to begin next month for the M6 junction 10 improvements with a public consultation launching in January.
Construction is set to start in April 2019 and finishing in late 2020.
The overhaul will see lanes going over the motorway increase from two to four with bridges rebuilt to ease congestion.
The initial plans are at the design stage but will be revealed early next year. More details will be announced shortly of how people can take part and find out more, he said.
The M6 junction 10 currently experiences significant congestion and traffic delays, particularly during morning and evening rush hours.
Road capacity problems have been identified as one of the main transport issues facing the Black Country within the West Midlands Local Transport Plan. Highways England is working with Walsall Council to deliver the overhaul.
It aims to remove the need for long term maintenance of the existing structure as well as increasing capacity at the junction and thereby reduce congestion.
It is hoped this will improve access to nearby sites set for development and improve accessibility for cyclists.
During the speech Mr O'Sullivan also announced the completion of the £191m improvement scheme at Catthorpe junction 19 of the M1in the next few weeks, which he said will 'revolutionise' the journeys made by more than 142,000 vehicles through the area every day.
He said key progress had been made on the £106m A45/A46 Tollbar End improvement scheme in Coventry as it also nears completion, and launched a consultation on a £282m scheme at junction 6 of the M42, bringing benefits for Birmingham Airport and beyond with the pending HS2 interchange station due to be based near this location.
Over 142,000 vehicles pass through the junction 19 interchange of the M1, M6 and A14 at Catthorpe each day and the original junction was a notorious bottleneck.
But the improved junction is already providing direct free-flow links from the A14 to M1 northbound, M1 southbound to A14, M6 to A14 in both directions, M6 to M1 southbound and M1 northbound to M6, he said.
Roadworks are in the process of being removed ahead of the scheme's completion next month.
Motorists travelling through the Tollbar island in Coventry are set to benefit from the partial opening of a new underpass this week as the A45/A46 Tollbar End improvement scheme nears completion, bringing increased capacity and improved journey times and safety.
The opening of lanes on the underpass follows the earlier opening of both east and west bridges earlier this year.
