Preparation work on £200m motorway link road

Preparation work is under way on a £200m project to directly link the eastbound M54 with the northbound M6.

Vegetation is being cleared and two large construction compounds are being built, along with temporary roads.

National Highways has announced a number of diversions and closures, which are due to start this month.

The government gave final approval for the link road last year and the work is expected to take five years to complete.

As well as the creation of the new road, National Highways also plans to replace M54 junction one and M6 junction 11.

It said the changes would result in quicker journey times and take traffic off minor roads through Featherstone, Hilton and Shareshill.

Currently, only traffic leaving the M6 to join the M54 heading west and traffic leaving the M54 to head south on the M6 has a direct link.

Traffic heading east on the M54 and then northbound on the M6 currently goes along the A460 before joining the M6 at junction 11.

National Highways said the new road would support economic growth in Wolverhampton, Telford, Shrewsbury, Cannock and Tamworth and it has been welcomed by local authorities.

The road is also expected to bring further development, with the area around the route being earmarked for economic and industrial growth.

The roads due to be affected by the early stages of the work are:

• Dark Lane - The section of Dark Lane north of Park Road will be permanently closed on 7 September.

• Hilton Lane - The section of Hilton Lane which connects to Dark Lane will be closed in both directions between 21 September and 9 October and later between 1 and 15 December.

• Mill Lane - There will be closures at the eastern end of Mill Lane between 14 and 20 October and later between 10 and 16 November.

National Highways said there may be some change to these dates however, and it has given details of diversions on its website.

Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.