Projects: Birchley Island M5 Junction 2 Improvement Scheme

  • Investment
    £30,000,000
  • Timeline

    Start: July 2016

    Delivery: November 2027

  • Location
    Birchley Island, Oldbury

A comprehensive transport scheme that will reduce congestion by widening approaches to the Birchley Island roundabout, as well as increasing capacity on the roundabout itself.

The Birchley Island M5 Junction 2 Improvement Scheme involves major capacity improvements to the linked junctions of Birchley Island and the M5 at Junction 2. All junction approaches will be widened and signal control will be introduced. The scheme will: –

  • Reduce congestion and improve journey time reliability
  • Reduce the potential for accidents through improved junctions and new lane markings
  • Create segregated pedestrian and cycle routes at each junction arm of the roundabout, improving safety for active travel users
  • Enable faster and more reliable public transport, improving the attractiveness of public transport and contribute towards modal shift
  • Improve access to the M5 at Junction 2, building on improvements to the motorway slip roads made by Highways England in 2013
  • Attract more businesses to Sandwell due to less conjested roads, ulimately resulting within the region in a higher volume of skilled labour

A number of key activites are now complete, including preliminary design, essential Surveys and planning permission has been granted. The Outline Business Case for £24.4M has now gained Programme Entry to the Department of Transports Major Road Network programme of funding and detailed design is almost complete.

The delivery of this scheme is subject to submission and approval of a Full Business Case to the Department for Transport.