Key road connecting city set for improvements

The A4123 corridor connects Wolverhampton with Birmingham and the Black Country

A busy road that connects Wolverhampton and the Black Country with Birmingham has been allocated funding for improvements, and a consultation is now under way on plans.

Proposals for the A4123 Birmingham New Road and Wolverhampton Road include cycle lanes, tree planting, safer pedestrian routes and new pedestrian/cyclist crossings.

The plans also include improved junctions and traffic signals with CCTV and real-time information at new bus stops, City of Wolverhampton Council said

The consultation, which runs until 10 January, can be completed online.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Wolverhampton cabinet member for highways and green city at the council, said: “These improvements can have a positive impact on everything from traffic congestion to air quality, the local economy and our health.”

He said Black Country Transport, working with City of Wolverhampton Council and neighbouring authorities, had secured the funding for the route.

The proposed work, which is being delivered in connection with West Midlands Combined Authority, covers areas of Wolverhampton, Dudley and Sandwell.

The improvements come a century after work started on the original route linking the cities in 1924, putting more than 400 unemployed men into work.

Residents and businesses who live in the immediate area of the current scheme will receive a leaflet with further details about the project.

People can also attend consultation events on 2 December in Dudley, 10 December in Oldbury, 12 December in Wolverhampton and 18 December in Oldbury.