BirminghamLive readers are doubtful a congestion busting new Black Country motorway bypass will be built and provide benefit to the region.
Several have also called for the existing M6 Toll road to be nationalised and made free to take traffic away from Birmingham and Black Country road network.
Their comments come after regional transport group Midlands Connect announced it is investigating opening an M5/M6 motorway bypass .
If its inquiries suggest a major economic benefit for the region it will ask Government to consider funding and developing the road.
But responding the BirminghamLive facebook page readers are sceptical.
Howard Tyers said: "This has been promised three times in the past ten years, but the Government’s road improvements scheme always shelved this idea every time."
Gordon Trevor Ford also highlighted the land which would be carved up for the road.
He said: "Western Orbital route has been on the books for many years. However the favoured route is through some very pleasant woodland and countryside areas. Across the Earl of Dudleys estate, round Halesowen, Stourbridge and round Swindon. Alongside the canal lower Penn."
Simon Baddeley warned: "Build more roads and they will be used - unfortunately. Don’t build more roads and bright individuals and flexible organisations will use human ingenuity and inventiveness to find alternative ways to move people and objects or not move them at all through shifting settlement patterns."
Richard Ryley-Beardsall said: "The missing link to Birmingham's own orbital motorway is only 40 years too late wonder if it will be the M5 Toll? Like they made the Birmingham Northern Relief Road the M6 toll which hasn’t done a jot to relieve the traffic on the original M6."
And many others suggested lifting or cutting charges on the M6 Toll road would have a greater impact.
Jason Luke Rowbottom said: "The best that could be done is just open the M6 toll as a free road. Would need to change its name obviously."
Stewart Mclaren added: "I agree problem is it’s privately owned so would have to be bought I would gladly pay £10 a year more on my vehcle tax to open it up."
Matt Pryce said: "Buy the M6 Toll and make it free, then you can rename that, the M42 from the M5-J7 and the Western Orbital to make an M25 style motorway ring road. North-south traffic won't have to come through the built up bit of the West Mids anymore."
Andy Milford asked: "Why not invest in more affordable train services and take a big chunk of single person commuter travel off the roads instead of ripping up countryside and tearing through communities with noisy roads?"
The only note of support was from Chris Burden who argued that it could help by removing cars from the city.
He said: "A combined approach is needed. There is already significant investment in railways, and roads do need a look in too.
"At the moment, traffic which could be diverted runs through the city, which congests roads and slows down the most popular public transport which is busses.
"By removing these cars, you free up more space for cyclists, buses and pedestrians, as well as reducing wear and tear on the roads."
