Speed limit to be cut to 40mph for M54 barrier works
Motorists are set to be hit with a reduced speed limit and diversion on a busy stretch of the M54 as three months of work is set to start.
Construction company Kier are going to carry out work for Highways England between the M54 M6 Junction 10a and M54 Junction 2, with work to start on October 16 and not planned to finish until December 17, with a new 40mph speed limit set to be put in place throughout this period.
Work to install new vehicle restraint barriers in the central reserve of the stretch between Wolverhampton and Staffordshire will take place from 8pm to 6am Monday to Friday, while the speed limit is 'a blanket' cut that covers the site for the duration of the project.
Chris Jones, Kier's construction team leader for the project, wrote in a letter to nearby residents and businesses: "I would like to apologise in advance for any inconvenience or disruption you may experience during this work.
"Every effort will be made to manage noise levels and additional lighting carefully to minimise any disruption to local residents and businesses.
"Traffic management will consist of two phases, with a blanket temporary 40mph speed limit throughout the site extents for the duration of the works."
The work will be carried out in two phases, with the first starting on October 16.
This will see five weeks of night closures, from 8pm to 6am, with a full closure of the westbound carriageway and lane two of the eastbound carriageway closed.
It also includes the closure of the M54 west bound junction 1 on and off slip roads, the closure of the M54 junction 2 west bound off slip and the M6 junction 10a north bound link road slip to the M54.
Phase two will consist of five more weeks of night work, starting on November 20 and ending on December 17, with the same closures put in place.
A diversion route will see traffic exiting the M54 east bound at junction 2 and take the first exit onto the A449 Stafford Road northbound towards Stafford.
Traffic will continue north on the A449 until reaching Gailey Roundabout, where motorists will take the third exit onto the A5 east bound.
Cars will then continue east on the A5 until reaching M6 junction 12 roundabout, where drivers will take the third exit to join the M6 southbound.
A reverse of this route will be used when the M54 west bound is closed during works.
