Major milestone reached on M42 Junction 6 highways scheme
Skanska has successfully opened a brand new A-road and motorway junction to traffic for the first time today (Wednesday 18 Dec).
Vehicles are able to use the A4545 link road and the new junction 5a of the M42 this morning marking a significant milestone on the M42 Junction 6 scheme near Birmingham that Skanska is delivering on behalf of National Highways.
Our project team has been carrying out extensive construction works on the scheme for the last three years to tackle heavy congestion at M42 junction 6.
Located in the heart of the country and part of a major transport hub for the region the new A4545 dual carriageway will link junction 5a on the M42 with the Clock Interchange roundabout - providing direct access from the M42 to Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Birmingham International train station and Birmingham Business Park.
The 2.4km stretch of dual carriageway has initially opened with one lane running in both directions and is expected to be fully in action by the Spring.
Jason Gostling, Highways Operations Director for Skanska said: “The team has worked extremely hard and it’s fantastic to achieve this important milestone. In addition to the 2.4km of road we’ve also built four new bridges that span the dual carriageway along with 1.1km of slip road.
“This has been a complex project to design and deliver, especially given the close proximity to Birmingham Airport. The road has been sunk into the ground to minimise the noise and impact on the local communities and environment. Close to a 1,000,000m3 of soil has been excavated to achieve this and 80,000 shrub and tree whips planted. Once grown these will further help screen the road.
“I’m immensely proud of the whole team for all their efforts.”
National Highways Regional Delivery Director, Anita Prashar, said: “Opening up the new link road and junction is an important milestone in this essential scheme which will ultimately ease the congestion issues in the area and promote economic growth.
“We wanted to make sure we opened the road ahead of the Christmas holiday as we know it will make a significant and positive difference to the journeys of visitors, local communities, and businesses. We’re making journeys easier for motorists heading to Birmingham Airport by providing direct access from the southern M42 to the airport.
“We are delighted to have reached this key milestone but appreciate that more work has to be carried out over the coming months so we are grateful to the local communities and road users for their continued patience.”