Traders praise roadworks progress
Date Published : 05 August 2008
Traders leaders have praised the progress of a £17 million road scheme after they took a tour of the site.
Six new road junctions are being built along more than a mile of new road to help traffic flow more smoothly through Walsall.
A new railway bridge in Littleton Street is also being built as part of the road scheme which was inspected by Saddlers Centre manager Angela Henderson and town centre manager Chris Gregory.
The scheme is being built by Norwest Holst and funded by Walsall Council.
Chris Gregory said that the first hand look at the work showed the obstacles the contractors face.
He said: “When you look at the complexity of a series of pipes and cables from five or six different utilities including, gas, electricity, water, telecoms and others, you appreciate the task facing those responsible for completing the works.
“We were reassured all is being done to ensure that the remainder of the works are being completed as quickly as possible and moves have been made to combine works to prevent future disruption in the future.”
Angela Henderson said that she thinks the new look Arboretum Junction looks great and said she is amazed at how many obstacles the contractors have had to overcome to carry out the road works.
She said: “I’m pleased the road works are coming to an end and we look forward to our customers being able to drive in and out of Walsall with ease.
“The Saddlers Centre will be working with the Chamber of Commerce, the local authority and the town centre manager to let everyone know that ‘it will be business as usual this Christmas’ in Walsall.
“I’d urge people to come along to Walsall and see the great offer of shops we have in town as well as our new road network.”
Councillor Anthony Harris, Walsall Council cabinet member for highways, said that he was pleased the traders’ representatives had a chance to see for themselves the scale of the task.
He said: “It really is a tremendous engineering achievement. We’ve kept Walsall open while constructing a new stretch of ring road and we’ve worked hard to keep problems for the motorist and local residents and businesses to an absolute minimum.
“Once people see what we are up against they can start to appreciate the work that has gone on.
“You dig the road up in Walsall and can find a real plate of spaghetti of different pipes and cables that are underground. Some of these are live and in use. Some are not. Each one has to be checked and in some cases re-routed by specialists before we can press ahead with building. That takes time.
“It’s important to stress that we are seeking to strengthen the local economy and to make it easier for people to get about.
“We are working hard to understand people’s concerns and seeking to communicate what we are doing at every step.
“As ever I appreciate the patience of road users as we complete this great new road.”
The ring road will be open to traffic by the end of the year with sections opening up as they are built and finished.
Contact us
For more information about the ring road – which is also known as the Town Centre Transport Package – log on at www.walsall.gov.uk and follow the links or call the helpline of 01922 471969.