A busy junction on the M6 is to undergo a £64.5 million facelift in a bid to reduce congestion and improve safety.
Around 8,000 vehicles currently pass through junction ten every hour during peak periods but the new design is aiming to increase this capacity to 10,500.
The artist's impression (below) shows how the new roundabout will look once the project is completed in 2020, with building work due to start in late 2018.
The new design has been chosen by Walsall Council and Highways England which said it would reduce congestion, increase safety and improve links for businesses in the area.
The current roundabout, which was built in the 1960s, will be replaced to avoid the need for extensive maintenance.
Two new bridges will be constructed, increasing the junction’s number of lanes from two to four.
The A454 Black Country Route, which connects Walsall to Wolverhampton, will be widened from junction ten to the Bentley Mill Way bridge, with enhancements made to the Wolverhampton Road and Bloxwich Lane junction.
Improvements will also be carried out to pedestrian and cycle facilities at the junction.
Details of roadworks and restrictions which will be put in place during construction will be released later this year.
Walsall Council transport chief Coun Lee Jeavons said: “Of the two, this chosen design is seen as the most effective at reducing congestion, offers the best value for money and will improve safety for all road users.
“Changes to the roundabout will not only cut travel time for motorists but encourage businesses and jobs to stay in the region and not move elsewhere.
“Improving the road network in the area will support the Darlaston area of the Black Country Enterprise Zone, which totals around 45 hectares of land.”
The project is being jointly funded by Highways England and Walsall Council via the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.
Further roadworks also due this year elsewhere on the motorway network, at junction seven of the M6 and the Oldbury viaduct on the M5 at junction one.
David Reed, project manager at Highways England, said: “Highways England and Walsall Council are both committed to cutting congestion and improving safety at M6 junction ten.
“Working in partnership, we have developed a design that will deliver more reliable journey times and, at the same time, provide a significant boost to the Midlands economy.”
Three public consultation events showing the plans are taking place later this month:
- The Village Hotel, Tempus Drive, Walsall, 2pm to 8pm, Wednesday February 15
- Holiday Inn, Wolverhampton Road West, Walsall, 12pm to 4pm, Monday February 20
- Boundary Mill, Junction 10 Retail Park, 11am to 2pm, Saturday February 25
