£1 million boost to kick-start major Walsall work
Major regeneration schemes that promise to change the face of Walsall – including overhauling the town’s ring road – are poised to benefit from a £1million boost.
The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership is to award the borough £918,000.
It will help deliver four projects including bolstering the town’s ring road, expanding Bloxwich park and ride, improving canal towpaths and enhancing junctions as part of the M6 Junction 10 rebuild.
The ring road improvements in particular have been in the pipeline for several years.
Walsall Council has already carried out studies identifying key locations for upgrades.
Early proposals include improving pedestrian crossings and signals at Green Lane/Blue Lane, Stafford Street/Littleton Street and Wisemore/Littleton Street.
Junctions would also be altered at Littleton Street/Tesco and Littleton Street/ Hatherton Street.
One of the biggest part of the works would see enhancements to the Mellish Road roundabout, to help alleviate traffic on to Walsall’s busiest junction linking Lichfield Street with the town centre.
Councillor Lee Jeavons, a member of the LEP and regeneration and transport chief at Walsall Council, said: “This demonstrates this administration’s continued commitment to working with partners to improve the borough of Walsall.
“The highway corridors around M6 Junction 10 and Walsall Ring Road are facing increasing levels of congestion and this money can now be invested in smart technology – a proven way to help manage the highway network more effectively and economically.”
Cash will see the 26 parking spaces at Bloxwich Railway Station more than doubled.
The towpath and cycling route improvements will be made along stretches of the Walsall Canal, while the investment will complement the £64m revamp of M6 Junction 10 and will be allocated towards enhancing two junctions located on the approach.
The Black Country LEP will meet on Monday to approve the funding, which comes from the government.
