£40m i54 motorway junction officially opens

A £40m new motorway junction providing access directly onto the i54 business park in South Staffordshire has officially opened to traffic.

The new junction is of strategic importance to the region’s motorway network because it will open up access to one of the area’s most significant new industrial parks.

The development has seen junction two of the M54 reconstructed to provide access onto the motorway network from i54. It is the first time a council – or group of local authorities – has undertaken a major project on a motorway and has been a major draw in attracting leading global businesses.

In October, HM the Queen visited the business park to officially open the new £500m Jaguar Land Rover engine plant and visit International Security Printers (ISP), a firm which produces stamps. The park is also home to aerospace firm Moog and scientific analyst business Eurofins.

Staffordshire County Council has led the construction of the new junction with its partners Wolverhampton City Council and South Staffordshire Council. The project has involved realignment of the junction, new link roads and slip roads built and a replacement 45 metre 500-tonne bridge installed across the M54. The work was carried out by contractor Balfour Beatty.

Staffordshire County Council leader Philip Atkins said: “i54 South Staffordshire is undoubtedly one of the country’s leading business sites with national acclaim. Having a dedicated motorway junction to provide access directly onto the site is a big attraction to leading business and is why companies of such high calibre have chosen to locate there.

“This development has been unique in that it is the first time a council partnership has delivered a civil engineering project of this kind. Seeing the new access arrangements in place is rewarding following our investment and is physical evidence of our commitment to a project which is already making a big difference to job creation and to our national, regional and local economy.

“We have delivered a centre of engineering, science and manufacturing. More importantly we have helped to create thousands of jobs for local people both on i54 and in the local supply chain, with apprenticeships and skills programmes offering better opportunities for future generations too.”

Wolverhampton City Council leader Roger Lawrence said the joint investment into the site had already secured hundreds of millions of pounds of inward investment which in turn is creating thousands of jobs for the area.

Work is ongoing to attract more businesses onto i54, although almost 90% of the 239 acre site is now occupied.  As part of the Black Country Enterprise Zone, businesses moving on to the site from outside the zone can benefit from 10% business rate relief worth up to £275,000 over a five-year period.

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