Delays warning as Castle Gate work steps up

The work around the Castle Gate island at the bottom of Castle Hill is expected to be completed by the end of November.

The more disruptive elements will be carried out at night when traffic flows are lighter – but there will be works from 9.30am to 3.30pm on weekdays which are expected to cause delays to journeys.

It is part of a larger project to tackle vehicle emissions and make the borough a more environmentally-friendly place, following a £1.5 million government grant earlier in the year.

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, cabinet member for environmental, highways and street services, said:

Improving air quality is a real focus for us as a council, and this welcome government funding will be used to reduce air pollution at key locations across the borough.

We would have liked to undertake the highway works during the summer months, when traditionally traffic flows are lighter.

However, Castle Gate is a major junction for Tipton Road where there are significant visitor attractions during the summer months and we had to take that into consideration.

The nature of these works is very complex and we will have contractors out working at night in order to minimise the inconvenience for motorists.

Unfortunately, to invest in the future and improve the operation of the junction, there is inevitably going to be disruption. We apologise for that and will do all we can to keep it to a minimum for the duration of the works.

The grant has come from the government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Department for Transport (DfT).

The scheme will look to reduce vehicle emissions, specifically addressing two key locations in the borough – the A461 Castle Gate Island and A491 High Street, Wordsley.

The funds are being used at Castle Gate to provide new traffic signalling technology to improve vehicle flow. Across the borough other measures being considered are upgraded “intelligent” pedestrian crossings, a review of bus stop placements and the introduction of more environmentally-friendly buses onto busy routes.

The council is also working with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to further improve public transport in the borough and reduce reliance on cars – including the delivery of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension.