‘Hamburger’ to cut congestion

A HUGE ‘hamburger’-style roundabout with a road through the middle will cost Sandwell council tax payers less than £3 million after the borough won the backing of major funders.

The cost-saving will mean the Birchley Island in Oldbury, expected to be built for £26 million, will only cost locals £2.6 million.

The new road scheme, next to Junction 2 of the M5, aims to cut jams and improve traffic flow between Sandwell, Dudley and Birmingham.

The cost of the layout, where the Wolverhampton Road will pass through the current island, will be shared with Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Midlands Combined Authority. The Black Country LEP will contribute £16 million while the Combined Authority pays £7.6 million.

Councillor Steve Eling, leader of Sandwell Council, said: “Birchley Island is a very congested junction which causes long delays and frustration for thousands of local motorists.

“The new hamburger system will improve the congestion problems even though it will always be a busy junction and the improvements will have a positive impact on bus services and for local motorists. It will also be good news for the many Black Country businesses who use the junction to transport goods through the junction onto the regional and national networks.”