Ringroad update March 2008
Over the last few months work on diverting underground services has been continuing. We have now reached a stage where most of the services’ obstructions have been moved and progress in constructing new carriageways and widening junctions can proceed at a greater pace.
Since November last year a number of key stages have been achieved that demonstrate progress has been made despite the longer than anticipated service diversions. Some of the more noticeable stages are:
- December 2007 - New carriageway at the top of Pleck Road was brought into use. This has enabled traffic to be moved away from the existing Pleck Road so that a major gas diversion can take place.
- February 2007 - Beams were placed on the new railway bridge on Littleton Street West. This is a major step in developing the new carriageway through this area.
- March 2008 - Traffic management at the Arboretum junction entered its next phase. Although not ideal, the introduction of the temporary smaller island is a vital step in the change from a roundabout to a signal controlled junction. The next phase of the work will see the removal of the island and the junction operating on signals.
Progress over the coming months will be more noticeable than in the past in many areas. The following work is anticipated:
Pleck Road
Work on the widening of the Rollingmill Street/Ida Road junction will start shortly. Similar work at the Bridgeman Street/Moat Road junction will follow. A major redevelopment of the Manor Hospital is also underway and their contractor has to construct a new entrance off Pleck Road. This has been coordinated to take advantage of the current one-way system. The ring road work is expected to be finished by autumn this year and provided the hospital entrance work is finished the one-way system will then be removed.
Pleck Road/Wolverhampton Road Junction
The junction is expected to be opened fully by late summer. This will include the reopening of Hollyhedge Lane. Some signal work may continue beyond this date but the junction will be operational.
Blue Lane West to Stafford Street
New carriageway in front of the fire station and Albert Jagger should be available by late April/early May. This will allow traffic to be moved off the existing carriageway so that this can be reconstructed.
Stafford Street to the Arboretum Junction
New carriageway over much of this length will be available by mid-summer. Traffic will be moved onto the new carriageway so that the existing lengths of Littleton Street West and East can be reconstructed. Reconstruction in this area should be completed by late autumn.
Arboretum Junction
The current temporary island will be removed by late June/early July, at which time the junction will start to operate on traffic signals. There will still be some work to do to properly tie in the approaches but this will be done away from peak traffic times where possible.
General Traffic Management
There will be an ongoing need for traffic management in order toprovide safe working areas and to facilitate the transition of traffic from existing carriageway to new. This will be most noticeable along the corridor from Blue Lane West to the Arboretum junction. While it is difficult to be specific about what will happen and when, any traffic management will have been carefully thought out. Access into and out of the town centre will be maintained at all times although occasionally there may be the need for localised diversions. Anything significant will be reported to the local press before it is put in place and temporary road signing will be used to advise.
The council and the contractor are working hard to achieve or better the dates shown; however these dates are only approximate. As always with work of this nature changes may occur due to unforeseen circumstances or work rescheduled for greater efficiency.
As well as the ring road works there are a number of new developments taking place adjacent to the route. Probably the most noticeable is work on Littleton Street West where the new Walsall College campus is being constructed. Development of the former flour mill on Wolverhampton Road is well advanced and work has begun on the redevelopment of the Manor Hospital. All of these developments impact in some way or another on the ring road works and the council is ensuring that all sides are liaising so that the projects can progress alongside each other. The council is also coordinating the traffic management requirements of each development with that of the ring road so that inconvenience to the public is kept to a minimum.
Contact us
Engineering and Transportation Services
2nd Floor, Civic Centre
Darwall Street
Walsall
WS1 1DG
Email ringroad@walsall.gov.uk
Telephone 01922 471969