A short section of Sedgley Road East in Tipton will close temporarily to vehicular traffic from Monday 24 October as work to install a purpose-built bridge for the anticipated Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro route gets underway.
Those traveling along Sedgley Road East over the autumn are being asked to leave more time for their journeys and to follow clearly signed diversion routes. Public transport users are also being advised that bus services in the area may run on amended routes and they should check their operator’s website before they travel. In addition, pedestrian diversions will be in place as footpaths beneath the structure are temporarily closed. It is anticipated that the closures will be lifted by mid-December.
The Midland Metro Alliance has worked closely with Sandwell Council and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to notify residents, businesses and organisations directly impacted by the localised closure, sharing tips on how they can avoid disruption by using travel planning information.
Tom Maplethorpe, Project Director at the Midland Metro Alliance, which is designing and building the route on behalf of TfWM, said: “The works to install the new bridge follow activity in the summer of 2020 to remove the old structure over Sedgley Road along with subsequent offline works to facilitate the new structure. We’re pleased that those living close by will be able to witness this exciting step forward in this project as one of the final new structures for phase one of this route is installed.”
During the autumn works on Sedgley Road East, people will be able to complete their journeys following a short and clearly signed diversion route. Transport for West Midlands, Sandwell Council and the Midland Metro Alliance have teamed up to provide the following travel advice:
Plan ahead and leave more time for your journeys especially if you travel along Sedgley Road East, Park Lane West, Mayfair Gardens or Victoria Road, as you’ll need more time for your journey to take account of the closure that will be in place:
- Follow the @wmroads Twitter feed for real time traffic updates
- Check with operators before you travel
- Road users are also being encouraged to take up other modes of transport such as walking or cycling, where possible.
Mark Corbin, Director of Network Resilience at TfWM, said: “The closure will be in place throughout the autumn and during this time delays are possible so we are asking people to consider their journeys wherever they can.”
The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension will boost public transport in the Black Country, providing much-needed links to the existing heavy and light rail networks, and helping to connect people to education, training and career opportunities further afield in the West Midlands. When the route opens to the public in late 2024, an additional nine stops will be added to the West Midlands Metro network linking people in Dudley town centre to both Birmingham and Wolverhampton via Wednesbury.
Photo credit: Transport for West Midlands / Midland Metro Alliance
