More improvements as part of £9.7m investment in city’s road network

Further road improvements are to get underway as part of a £9.7million programme to enhance, maintain and repair Wolverhampton’s highways.

Work to tackle potholes and other defects is scheduled to continue in Penn Road.

The road will close to inbound traffic from Hollybush Lane to Pinfold Lane on Sunday September 15 between 8am and 12pm and on Thursday September 19 between 9.30am and 2pm for surface dressing work.

The diversion for traffic on both days will be via Warstones Road and Coalway Road.

Resurfacing work will also take place next week in Peacock Avenue and Hilston Road.

It forms part of City of Wolverhampton Council’s Highway Capital Programme, which has a total budget of £9.7million. Included in this is additional funding which has been set aside to tackle potholes affecting the city’s roads.
 
Potholes are a priority for the council to manage, and over the past year more than 6,800 have been repaired on routes across the city.

In total, during the past decade, more than 53,000 pothole repairs have been carried out in Wolverhampton, with 94% of potholes in the city dealt with within the set deadlines.

Councillor Qaiser Azeem, cabinet member for transport and green city at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “The council takes the repair of potholes extremely seriously as we are aware of the issues they can cause, not only in Wolverhampton but across the country.

“Through a vigilant inspection regime, we identify roads which can benefit from surface dressing work. This helps prolong the lifecycle of our highways network, making the most of available funding to improve the condition and safety of our roads for everyone.

“The council has invested heavily in improving our roads because we know how important it is in supporting the local economy and making sure people stay connected, whether driving, cycling, walking or using public transport.”

Surface dressing extends the life of a road before it needs to be fully resurfaced. Alongside repairing defects, it can help prevent environmental damage such as rain and frost, and further wear and tear.

It is quick to do, requiring shorter road closures and improves safety by reducing stopping times for drivers.

People may notice loose chippings on the road after the first phase of surface dressing work on September 15.

Regular mechanical sweeping will be carried out on the day to ensure surplus chippings are removed; however, motorists are asked to take extra care and abide by temporary speed limits.

Once the final phase of work is carried out on September 19, any loose chippings will be fully sealed in as part of the surface dressing process.

Full road resurfacing work will take place in Peacock Avenue from Monday September 16 to September 18, with a full road closure between 9.30am and 3pm. The traffic diversion is via Lichfield Road, Linthouse Lane and Griffiths Drive. 

Road resurfacing will also take place in Hilston Road, from Thursday September 19 to Friday September 20, with the road closed from Warstones Road to the junction with Fairview Road between 9:30am and 3pm. The traffic diversion is via Warstones Road, Springhill Lane and Springhill Avenue.

Due to the nature of the materials involved, all works are subject to weather conditions.