‘Wreaking havoc in the city’: Fury over Wolverhampton city centre works

Henry Carver, managing director of Carvers Building Supplies, said the closure of two lanes of Ring Road St Patrick’s near his business were causing tailbacks as far as Molineux.

The works are being carried out on the clockwise carriageway by National Grid, which said the works were vital to the future of the city’s development, and that every effort was being made to minimise inconvenience.

Wolverhampton Council said it had no control over the timing of the work and shared Mr Carver’s frustration, adding that it would impose fines if National Grid did not meet its obligations.

Mr Carver, who is president of Wolverhampton Business Forum, said it was the latest in a long line of works which had brought the city’s traffic flow to a standstill, costing businesses in the city vast amounts of money.

“This is what really irks business, the time it takes to do the most menial of things,” he said.

“There were two lanes of the ring road closed, and I couldn’t see any work being done.

“It was the same with the works in Darlington Street, which were only supposed to take six months, but saw it closed for virtually a year.”

A spokesman for National Grid Electricity Distribution said the work was part of the company’s investment in Wolverhampton's electricity network, which was necessary to ensure it had the capacity required to support the city's future growth.

"By installing new infrastructure now, we're helping provide the electricity network needed for new homes, businesses and future development in the years ahead," he said.

“Because this work involves excavating sections of the highway, lane closures and traffic restrictions are necessary to allow it to be carried out safely.

"We're working closely with Wolverhampton Council to coordinate the project and minimise disruption wherever possible. We appreciate these works will cause delays for motorists and thank people for their patience while this important investment is completed."

A spokesman for Wolverhampton Council said: “National Grid – not the council – is entirely responsible for the timing, location and duration of the roadworks currently taking place on the ring road.

"The council has no say over where and when essential utility works like this take place and we share the frustration of residents and businesses, particularly when they affect key routes.”

He said that while was the responsibility of National Grid to notify those directly affected, the council had widely publicised the current works to help minimise disruption, and electronic roadside signs had displayed messages about the works in advance, alongside signs on lamp posts.

"We will continue to monitor the work closely and will hold National Grid to account if it fails to meet obligations, including issuing fines where appropriate," he said.