M6 junction 10 improvement

Latest updates

• 15 March 2021

  Bloxwich Lane - overnight closures

  From 15 to 19 March, we’ll close Bloxwich Lane overnight from 10pm to 6am.

  This is so we can continue to safely complete the installation of:

  • drainage and telecoms equipment
  • electric cables for the new traffic and street lighting

  Thanks for your patience while we carry out this important work. We assure you that we’ll work hard to complete the work quickly and keep disruption to a minimum.

  We’ll put the following diversion route in place during the closures:  

• 25 February 2021

  A454 Wolverhampton Road closures

  From 1 to 5 March and 22 to 27 March, we’ll close the A454 Wolverhampton Road westbound from Pleck Road to KFC and Bloxwich Lane overnight from 10pm to 6am.

  Also on 8 March to 12 March 2021 and 29 March to 1 April 2021, we’ll close Wolverhampton Road Eastbound from Bloxwich Lane to Primely Avenue. You will still be able to access the KFC and the Village Hotel as usual.

  This is so we can safely complete work to:

  • install drainage equipment
  • telecomms equipment
  • electric cables for the new traffic and street lighting

  We’ll carry out this work at night because there are fewer vehicles on the road. This means there is less impact to road users.

  Thanks for your patience while we carry out this important work. We assure you that we’ll work hard to complete the work quickly and keep disruption to a minimum.

  We’ll put the following diversion route in place during these closures.

• 22 February 2021

  One year on

  It’s been just over a year since we started work to improve M6 junction 10. Despite the challenges of last year, we’ve continued the work, following strict safeguarding measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

  This is a very congested junction. We know how important this work is for drivers, businesses and the local communities. We’ve made good progress and are on track to finish the work in spring 2022.

  The video shows the new bridges beginning to take shape. Once complete, they will double the number of lanes over the M6 at junction 10. We’ll also replace the 50-year-old structures, currently in place.

  We’ve completed the foundations for the bridges. We’re now building the bridge supports either side of the junction. We’ll put the first of the bridge beams in spring. We’ll need to use specialist, 1000-tonne cranes to lift the beams into place.

  This drone footage captures the progress being made on the M6 junction 10 improvements.

• 27 January 2021

  A454 Wolverhampton Road westbound closure

  The A454 Wolverhampton Road westbound, between the KFC and M6 junction 10, will be closed overnight from 10pm to 6am on 1 and 2 February, and 8 to 10 February 2021. 

  We will be carrying out essential works to install electric cables for the street lighting and traffic signals at the junction. You will still be able to access the KFC and the Village Hotel as usual.

  For more information please see the diversion route below. We apologise for any disruption this may cause.

• 21 January 2021

  Vegetation clearance

  In early February, we’ll start removing some trees and shrubs at the roundabout. This will take place at the area by Wolverhampton Road, next to Arnwood Close and the A454 Black Country Route eastbound.

  We need to carry out this work to help us get ready to start widening the junction itself. The work will last for five nights from 10pm to 5am.

  To remove the trees, we’ll need to close a lane on the eastbound carriageway of the A454 Black Country route, heading around the M6 junction 10 roundabout onto Wolverhampton Road West, next to Arnwood Close. During the work, we’ll also need to close the bus lane. We’ll do this at night when there are fewer vehicles on the road. Please see the map for the diversion route details.

  We’ll be using some noisy machines and equipment to carry out the work. Sorry for any disruption this may cause. We’ll make every effort to manage noise to reduce the impact of our work.

   Diversion Route

• 15 December 2020

  M6 junctions 7 to 10 – Emergency carriageway repairs

  We’ll be carrying out some essential maintenance work overnight on 15 and 16 December on the M6 between junction 7 to 10. To carry out this work safely, we’ll need to close the M6 Northbound carriageway from 9pm to 6am.

  Traffic will be diverted off the M6 J7 onto the A34 towards Walsall, then via the Walsall ring road, A4148 anticlockwise to the A454 before re-joining the M6 at J10.

  Our overnight closures along the A454 Eastbound still remain in place and will not be affected by the maintenance work closures.

  To ensure the diversion routes are clear, we’ve put out extra signage clarifying both routes for your benefit. Thank you for your patience and remember to plan ahead.

• 04 December 2020

  A454 Eastbound closure update

  We’ve been carrying out overnight work on the A454 Black Country Route westbound carriageway. As part of this work, we’ve removed the central reservation and resurfaced the carriageway. We completed the westbound work early, so we no longer need to close the westbound carriageway on 3 and 4 December.

  From 7 December, we’ll close the eastbound carriageway from Keyway Junction (A463) to M6 Junction 10. The closures will take place overnight from 10pm to 6am and will last for two weeks. We’re doing this, so we can continue resurfacing the A454.

  As we have narrow lanes in place, we’ve reduced the speed limit on the A454 to 30mph. The speed limit is in place 24/7 and is for everyone’s safety. We would encourage all road users to stay within the 30mph speed limit when driving through the roadworks and do not use the bus lanes, as you may be fined.

• 16 November 2020

  A454 Westbound closure

  From mid-November, we’ll need to close the westbound carriageway of the A454 Black Country Route from junction 10 to Marshlands Way junction for three weeks.

  The closures will take place overnight from 10pm to 6am from 16 to 21 November, 23 to 27 November and from 30 November to 4 December. We’ll be doing this to carry out surfacing works and removing the barrier in the central reservation.

  Once we finish work on the westbound, we’ll switch over to the eastbound carriageway in early December.

  Diversion route in place during the closure

• 27 October 2020

  Footpath closure

  From 5 November, we‘ll be closing the footpath that runs across Junction 10 and the footpath on Wolverhampton Road from the Pisces Fish and Chip shop, up to Tempus drive. We‘re doing this so that we can safely start the main works to widen the A454 Wolverhampton Road West, the slip roads and the roundabout itself. We’ll re-open the footpaths in August 2021.

  We had initially planned to close these footpaths in July, however, we delayed this to minimise disruption while we carried out minor work. We‘re now starting the main work in this section, and now need to close the footpaths for your safety.

  Please do not try to use the footpath while we carry out this work. An alternative route is available via Bloxwich Lane, Churchill Road and Queen Elizabeth Avenue, which is a route we have recently improved for your convenience and safety. Please view our map for the alternative route.

  While we carry out these important improvements, we’re working closely with Transport for West Midlands to support local journeys during the scheme. For local travel advice to help you plan ahead and keep moving through the work, please visit the West Midlands network website.

   

• 15 May 2020

  Vegetation around the junction

  We’ve started removing vegetation around the junction to create the space needed to complete the work safely. We’re carrying out this work Monday to Friday mostly during the day. We’ll need to close some roads overnight to carry out this work.

  Before we start the main work, we’re holding some public information events. If you’d like to find out more about our proposals and speak to a member of the team, please come and visit us on the dates and times listed below.

  • Friday 31 January 2020 2pm to 8pm at the Village Hotel, Tempus Drive, Walsall WS2 8TJ
  • Saturday 8 February 2020 10am - 2pm at Asda, George St, Walsall WS1 1RS
  • Monday 10 February 2020 1pm to 8pm with our engagement van in the car park at Tesco Willenhall, Neptune Industrial Estate, Willenhall WV13 2PZ
  • Thursday 13 February 2020 10am to 3pm at Boundary Mills, Junction 10 Retail Park, Bentley Mill Way, Walsall WS2 0LE

  In February 2020, we’ll complete the vegetation clearance work. We’ll also carry out work to prepare the ground, which is expected to complete in spring 2020. Following this we’ll start construction to widen the junction in summer 2020.

  In early February 2020, we'll close lane 1 of the M6 in both directions through junction 10. We'll also put a 60mph speed limit in place for the safety of motorists and our workers. Lane 1 will be closed for the duration of the work, the other three lanes will remain open during daytime hours to keep traffic flowing.

  We’ll need some overnight lane closures on the slip roads at junction 10, and occasional overnight lane closures on the M6. We’ve planned to do this at overnight when traffic flows are lowest to minimise any disruption.

  We'll have free recovery in place around the junction to safely assist and clear any vehicles which break down within the scheme boundary.

  We’ll work hard to complete this work as quickly and as safely as possible.

• Utility surveys

  Since February, we have completed vegetation clearance around the junction. We’ve also carried out non-intrusive surveys of buried existing services such as electricity, gas, BT using ground penetrating radar (GPR) to verify their locations. Currently, we have three drilling and grouting rigs on site that are grouting redundant mines below the new bridges and retaining walls. This will ensure that the ground is stable and secure for when we put the new bridges in.

  We’ve also started construction of our main site compound, which will be in John Hill’s yard to the east of the junction.

  We’ve closed one lane on the M6, through the junction to allow us enough working space to enable the construction of the new bridge abutments.