Traffic islands given makeover to improve potholes

Councillors Qaiser Azeem, Richard Parker and Stephen Simkins (from left to right) at Bilston High Street island, which has been resurfaced

Traffic islands in Wolverhampton have been given a makeover as part of works to improve potholes in the region.

Resurfacing work has been carried out on the Bilston High Street, Black Country Route and Coseley Road islands, in Bilston, by City of Wolverhampton Council.

The cost of the work has been taken from the £2m the council received through West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) for highways improvements, with more roads set to undergo resurfacing work.

Council leader Stephen Simkins said the three islands in Bilston are now "safer and smoother for the thousands of motorists who use them every day, alongside other modes of transport".

He added that as well as the road works, Bilston will also get a new market, a High Street Link development, a new health and wellbeing facility next to the leisure centre, and other road safety initiatives like Safer Routes to School.

Bilston is also one of three towns in Wolverhampton to have been chosen for the government's £20 million Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, which will aim to give local people the power to choose what regeneration projects they want carrying out.

Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said he wanted the government funding to help fix issues in Wolverhampton, such as potholes and uneven roads, which local people have been growing "frustrated" over.

"Alongside our councils, we're tackling thousands of potholes, making every day journeys smoother and safer," he said.

"This is about showing people that we care about where they live and that we're investing in the places they travel through every day."