New Year changes to tackle traffic jams and improve safety at The Rock junction

Tuesday, 5 December 2023 17:51

Highways improvements are to be made at The Rock junction to help reduce traffic congestion and improve safety

Changes will be implemented under a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) for a trial period after investigations were completed into the cause of traffic jams and accidents at the junction in Tettenhall.

Works including the installation of new signage and road markings are to begin from January 15, 2024, weather permitting, and will last for around a fortnight.

The decision has been taken to remove right turn movements from Henwood Road and Lower Street.

It comes after analysis showed most collisions at the junction involved right turning traffic from Lower Street or Henwood Road.

The new measures will decrease the potential for accidents and will significantly improve the capacity of the junction resulting in less delays at peak periods.

Councillor Craig Collingswood, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said: “It is important that we keep traffic moving freely to help our high streets, town centres and villages to thrive.

“This will help reduce queues at busy times through the junction and make it safer for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

“Fewer traffic jams will also mean less vehicle emissions which is good for the area and aligns with the city’s ambitions to be net carbon zero by 2041.”

Traffic will still be able to turn right into Henwood Road and Lower Street from Tettenhall Road.

As part of the work one-way systems will be introduced along Stockwell Road, Lothians Road, Malthouse Lane and Upper Green to help control traffic flow.

Additional parking will be created along Upper Green for the local village centre.

The bus stop on Tettenhall Road will be moved 90 metres away from the junction while a 20mph speed limit will be introduced along Keepers Lane from the A41 junction to the Wolverhampton and Staffordshire border 300m to the north.

The proposals will be implemented through an experimental TRO. The period for objections will be the first six months following the implementation of the TRO, after which the scheme can remain in place for a further 12 months (18 months in total), before it is determined whether to make the whole, or part, of the TRO permanent.

For full details of the highways changes visit https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/parking-and-roads/roadworks/tettenhall-road-henwood-road