M54 to M6 link road through Staffordshire given government approval

The £200m scheme will link the M54 to the M6 through Staffordshire

A road linking the M54 to the M6 in the West Midlands has been given final approval by the government.

The £200m development will see a 2.5km (1.6 mile) road between junction one of the M54 and junction 11 of the M6.

The link will reduce current levels of congestion through the villages of Featherstone, Hilton and Shareshill in Staffordshire, said National Highways.

Access to existing locals roads will be via a new junction north east of the current location on the M54.

There will also be a realignment of Hilton Lane over the new road with a new junction also created on the M6.

The scheme, recommended by the government's Planning Inspectorate, is set to reduce traffic on local roads such as the A460, A449 and A5, by providing additional capacity, it said.

Work on the major project was initially earmarked to start later this year, but the decision by the Transport Secretary, after a public examination, was put back in October 2021.