A regional transport body says businesses are backing a plan to build a new £200 million motorway link road in the West Midlands.
Midlands Connect said it had surveyed local companies and found plenty of support for the M54 scheme which was granted approval by central Government in 2022.
At present, drivers can stay on the M54 to its end in Essington, north-east of Wolverhampton, and join the M6 southbound directly but cannot do the same for northbound routes.
Instead, they have to exit the motorway either junctions two or one and travel through local villages via the A449 or A460 before re-joining the M6 north.
It said the proposed link road, to run from junction one of the M54 to junction 11 of the M6, would alleviate the congestion that businesses told it was costing them time, money and growth opportunities..
Sign up for your free West Midlands newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn
Email newsletters
BusinessLive is your home for business news from across the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry and Staffordshire.
Click through here to sign up for our email newsletter and also view the broad range of other bulletins we offer including weekly sector-specific updates.
We will also send out ‘Breaking News’ emails for any stories which must be seen right away.
For all the latest stories, views and polls, follow our BusinessLive West Midlands LinkedIn page here.
It added that, as a result of this congestion, firms reported having to take mitigating measures to reduce negative business impacts of these routes.
The Department for Transport’s spending portfolio is currently under review and local firms are urging the Government to make these upgrades a priority, according to Midlands Connect.
Andy Sims runs the environment health and safety operation at Essington-based door and window designer and manufacturer J Banks.
He said: “(Our driver) will start earlier than usual to avoid rush hour issues. Leaving before rush hour saves time.
“If we know we’re going somewhere, we plan ahead, especially for scheduled runs. We tend to leave at 7am instead of 8am to avoid problems.”
Tom Kay, head of future planning at logistics firm Kuehne + Nagel Government and Defence, added: “The environmental impact of taking trucks off urban A roads and onto the motorway is the biggest win and healthier for the population.”
Sir Gavin Williamson, MP for Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, said: “Local firms have highlighted the detrimental impact the route is having on their daily operations but also their strategic, long-term growth plans.
“Being forced to use these local routes to connect between the M54 and M6 is driving up costs and impacting journey reliability, causing some firms to take significant detours to avoid the junction.
“It is clear from the discussions highlighted in this report that there is overwhelming support in the local business community for a new link road.
“With firms saying the proposed route would reduce journey times, reduce costs, widen hiring pools, and provide the confidence needed to invest in their growth.”
Swati Mittal, Integrated Transport Lead from Midlands Connect said: “It’s great to see local firms overwhelmingly backing a link road for the M54 to the M6.
“It could create economic growth, help deal with pollution through shorter journeys and create more jobs.”
This post was originally published on here
