The junction improvement project is being jointly funded by Highways England and Walsall Council via the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership. The aim is to reduce congestion and improve links for businesses in the area.
Subject to receiving planning permission and completing further preparatory work, construction work is expected to start on site late 2018 and complete in 2020.
The project involves construction of two bridges, increasing the junction’s number of lanes from two to four. The A454 Black Country Route, an arterial carriageway that connects Walsall to Wolverhampton, will be widened from Junction 10 to the Bentley Mill Way bridge, with enhancements made to the Wolverhampton Road and Bloxwich Lane junction.
“Improving the road network in the area will support the Darlaston area of the Black Country Enterprise Zone, which totals around 45 hectares of land,” said local councillor Lee Jeavons .
Around 8,000 vehicles pass through the junction every hour during peak periods but this new design will increase its capacity to 10,500 vehicles per hour.
Highways England project manager David Reed said: “Highways England and Walsall Council are both committed to cutting congestion and improving safety at M6 Junction 10. Working in partnership we have developed a design that will deliver more reliable journey times and, at the same time, provide a significant boost to the Midlands economy.”
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