Work on constructing the West Midlands Metro extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill will be stepping up over the next few months with off peak lane restrictions to be introduced in Dudley on Duncan Edwards Way from late October until early November.
Early works in the area started in the summer with de-vegetation taking place along sections of this busy bypass and they will now increase on Duncan Edwards Way later this year and into 2022 with plans in place to ensure traffic flow in both directions on the A461 at all times.
Both motorists and public transport users are being urged to plan their journeys with real-time information during these latest works.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension will be an absolute game changer for Dudley. Not only will it connect the borough with more of Sandwell, Wolverhampton, and the east and west of Birmingham by tram, this extension will also provide a direct route for many across the Black Country to travel directly to the new Curzon Street station for HS2. But this work cannot happen without some disruption to existing transport mechanisms, which is why we are urging those in the area, or driving through it, to keep up-to-date with what measures may be in place using channels like West Midlands Roads.”
Andy Jacques, Midland Metro Alliance Construction Manager, added: “We’ve planned our works to be quite fluid and the team and I will be adapting both the needs of the transport network, but also unknowns, including exact locations of buried services. In coming weeks work will include trial excavations to locate any utilities below ground so these can be upgraded and moved ahead of us being more noticeable later in the year and in 2022 with main construction. Due to the adaptive nature of work in autumn, we’re joining our colleagues by asking those travelling to plan their journeys and turn to West Midlands Roads to see exactly when and where we will be at work on Duncan Edwards Way throughout the last three months of the year.”
This extension of the West Midlands Metro is due to open in 2023 and will see at least 16 new stops added to the tram network. It runs for 11km branching off the original line east of the Wednesbury Great Western Street stop and then travelling via Tipton and Dudley to Brierley Hill.