Commuters urged to plan ahead as Metro works start

A lane restriction on Sedgley Road East in Tipton will be in place from June 22 as an access road is built ahead of wider works in the area scheduled for the summer as part of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension in Sandwell.

Those travelling through Park Lane West and Sedgley Road East in coming weeks are being asked to leave more time for their journeys and to follow diversion routes.

Public transport users are also being advised that bus services in the area may run on amended routes when works take place and they should check the West Midlands Network website before they travel.

From Monday 22 June, vehicular traffic will flow on a short portion of Sedgley Road East, between Mayfair Gardens and Sacred Heart School, under three-way traffic signals as work to build the access road gets underway. It is expected that this traffic measure will be in place for up to four weeks.

Then later in the summer, the same part of Sedgley Road will completely close to vehicular and pedestrian traffic, as the Midland Metro Alliance, working on behalf of Transport for West Midlands, will begin the first structure upgrade along the 11km route with the temporary removal of the railway bridge crossing the A-Road.

The closure is expected to last for up to four weeks and later in the construction of the much-anticipated Metro route a replacement bridge will be erected.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension is a brilliant scheme for the Black Country, and I am determined we press ahead to help provide some economic certainty in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. I know the teams involved in the project have been busy throughout the crisis with design work and utility works in Dudley, so it’s great that those living in Sandwell can see this project getting underway in their area too.

“We, of course, apologise for any inconvenience that the work is going to cause, but this scheme is a critical part of our wider transport plans for the region and will make a real difference to residents.”