- spades in the ground within weeks as vital works to the A38
will boost local connectivity and make it easier for
Worcestershire residents to get to Birmingham, Bristol and
Gloucester
- improvements will generate more than £93 million in economic
benefits for the West Midlands, supporting 5,500 new homes and
1,100 new jobs in the region
- part of government plans to create jobs, improve transport
connections and grow the economy
Residents in the West Midlands will benefit from reduced road
congestion and a boost to the local economy and jobs, with work
soon starting on crucial upgrades to the A38 Bromsgrove corridor.
Today (3 August 2023), the Department of Transport (DfT) has confirmed that
construction on the upgrades will start in the coming weeks to
radically improve the A38 Bromsgrove, reducing journey times,
creating new opportunities for cycling and walking and boosting
connections to Birmingham, Bristol and Gloucester.
The scheme – backed by £43 million in government funding – will
deliver major upgrades on a 4 mile stretch of the A38 between M42
Junction 1 to the north and the junction of A38 with B4094
Worcester Road in the south. These upgrades will focus on
improvements at key junctions to prevent bottleneck and improve
traffic flow to reduce journey times.
The upgrades are expected to support over 1,100 new local jobs
and 5,500 new homes, generating over £93 million in economic
benefits for Worcestershire and the West Midlands.
Roads Minister said:
Thanks to our £43 million investment, these crucial upgrades will
help reduce severe traffic congestion and poor connectivity for
residents in Bromsgrove and Worcestershire, while making it
easier to cycle and walk in Worcestershire.
With work set to begin in the coming weeks, these improvements
will bolster the local economy through new jobs and homes, while
making journeys quicker and smoother for people to get around the
area.
The junction improvements will reduce journey times for local
buses, making bus services more reliable and punctual. Real-time
passenger information will be installed at bus stops along the
route to provide passengers with live updates and help them plan
their journey, as the government continues to encourage bus use
with over £3.5 billion invested since 2020 to protect routes,
improve services and reduce the price of bus tickets.
Local residents will also benefit from improved walking and
cycling facilities thanks to a new cycle and pedestrian corridor
running parallel to the A38. New crossings will make it easier to
access the wider local cycle network, improve safety for cyclists
and pedestrians, provide more options for active travel and
support the drive to net zero.
The total cost of the scheme is £49.8 million,
with DfT committing to provide
just over £43 million and Worcestershire County Council providing
the rest of the funding.
The upgrades are vital to tackle congestion across the A38 and
grow the economy in the region by boosting local connectivity.
The A38 has been affected by slow traffic flow at key junctions
and severe congestion during the weekday rush hour, affecting
local residents’ ability to get around.
Councillor Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for
Economy, Infrastructure and Skills at the County Council, said:
I am delighted that our A38 project has received the funding
boost from government that it hugely deserves.
With over £43 million awarded by DfT, we’ll be able to help
improve everyday journeys around Bromsgrove and ease traffic for
people, as well as boosting the local economy.
Following this announcement, I am pleased to say that contactors
will be appointed shortly and work will begin on the improvements
later this year.
The project is the latest in a series of government investments
to boost local transport infrastructure, including £5.7 billion
for future local transport projects across England, as part of
the Prime Minister’s plan to grow the economy.
