Major road opens for first time in four years helping reduce traffic near busy UK airport

Improvements to the junction have been ongoing since 2021, with the junction opening one lane of the motorway last year, with the dual carriageway representing the latest development.

The project is expected to be fully completed by the winter, with traffic management measures being removed today, as well as the opening of the dedicated slip road off the A4545 into Birmingham Airport.

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The dual carriageway will also provide direct access from the M42 to Birmingham Business Park and a more direct route on the A45 to Birmingham.

The 1.5-mile road was initially opened with one lane running in both directions at the end of last year, but the new road should alleviate traffic congestion at J6 of the busy motorway.

Other work on the junction includes the new Junction 5a on the M42, as well as two new roundabouts north of the B4102 Solihull Road on either side of the M42.

Meanwhile, a new overbridge above the A45 near the Arden Hotel has been created, providing cyclists and pedestrians with a safer route to cross the A45.

The National Highways Project Manager on the M42 Junction 6 scheme, Adam Gallis, explained that fully opening the A4545 enables drivers to "enjoy the benefits of this brand-new road".

He said: "We appreciate the frustrations that roadworks can cause and we’re extremely grateful to the local community for their patience and will continue to listen to people’s concerns and act on them where appropriate."

The improvement work aimed to increase the capacity at Junction 6 as well as reduce congestion on the road, which sees roughly 80,000 vehicles pass through daily.

Gallis added: "To be able to leave behind such a positive legacy on top of the benefits we have delivered to the road network really is fantastic."

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He explained that the scheme has meant that the agency can spend "years working alongside local communities, and this is a great example of how we wish to engage throughout the duration of the works and beyond".

As the final work on the junction gets completed, drivers have been warned of road closures taking place next week to allow the remaining traffic management measures to be removed.

The agency noted that all closures will take place overnight between 9pm and 5am to avoid disruptions for drivers.

From Monday, June 30, Junction 6 to 7 on the M42 northbound will see lanes one and two closed, as well as the entry slip road at J6.

On Tuesday, July 1, there will be similar closures taking place to allow National Highways to remove the traffic management scheme.

National Highways Regional Delivery Director Anita Prashar had previously explained that the road project would help address congestion issues in the area and promote economic growth.

She shared: "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."