WORK is soon set to start on ‘crucial’ upgrades to the A38 in Bromsgrove which is being backed by £43m of government investment.

The Department of Transport has confirmed that construction on the upgrades will start in the coming weeks to improve the A38 Bromsgrove, reducing journey times, creating new opportunities for cycling and walking and boosting connections to Birmingham, Bristol and Gloucester.  

The scheme, backed by £43 million in Government funding, will deliver major upgrades on a four-mile stretch of the A38 between M42 Junction 1 to the north and the junction of A38 with B4094 Worcester Road in the south, focusing on improvements at key junctions to prevent bottlenecks and improve traffic flow to reduce journey times. #

Roads minister Richard Holden said: “Thanks to our £43 million investment, these crucial upgrades will help reduce severe traffic congestion and poor connectivity for residents in Bromsgrove and Worcestershire while making it easier to cycle and walk in Worcestershire.

“With work set to begin in the coming weeks, these improvements will bolster the local economy through new jobs and homes, while making journeys quicker and smoother for people to get around the area.”

Bromsgrove Advertiser: A38 in Charford.A38 in Charford. (Image: Google.)

The total cost of the scheme is £49.8 million, with the Department for Transport committing to provide just over £43 million and Worcestershire County Council providing the rest of the funding.

The DfT says the junction improvements will reduce journey times for buses making services more reliable.

Real-time passenger information will be installed at bus stops along the route to provide passengers with live updates and help them plan their journeys.

Residents will also benefit from improved walking and cycling facilities thanks to a new cycle and pedestrian corridor running parallel to the A38, with new crossings making it easier to access the wider local cycle network,

Councillor Marc Bayliss, cabinet member with responsibility for economy, infrastructure and skills at Worcestershire County Council, said: “I am delighted that our A38 project has received the funding boost from Government that it hugely deserves.

“With over £43 million awarded by the Department for Transport, we’ll be able to help improve everyday journeys around Bromsgrove and ease traffic for people, as well as boosting the local economy.

“Following this announcement, I am pleased to say that contractors will be appointed shortly, and work will begin on the improvements later this year.”