A38 Improvements

Have your say on Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme A38

The A38 is one of Worcestershire’s most important strategic transport routes. U sers of the A38 corridor in Bromsgrove currently experience congestion and delay at key junctions, causing irregular journey times, and the need to improve the A38 corridor from Lydiate Ash (M5, junction 4) to Hanbury Turn (junction with B4091 Hanbury Road) was identified in Worcestershire’s Fourth Local Transport Plan.

The aim of the A38 improvements is to ensure the Bromsgrove area can be ‘open for business’ by supporting economic growth. The improvement schemes include a series of junction enhancements where delay and congestion are currently experienced or where conditions are predicted to deteriorate further. They also include a range of improvements to cycling and walking routes alongside and over the A38. The issues with congestion are set to get worse if nothing is done, due to additional traffic. Improvements are therefore needed on the route to support new developments in the area in addition to improving links to and from Bromsgrove town centre and railway station in order to offer good alternatives to using a car for short journeys. There are two key programmes of improvement works in different stages of progress.

Phase 1 work has already begun and will be completed during 2020. The proposed Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme (BREP) is currently in development and aims to provide additional highway capacity and promote walking and cycling as an alternative, through a range of improvements along the whole corridor.

BREP follows work that began last year to make improvements to the junction with Barley Mow Lane, M5 junction 4 and M42 junction 1. It has been included in a priority list of schemes for government funding by transport body Midlands Connect, with a funding request for £42 million to deliver it.

This new wider proposed programme of works is being developed to deliver additional improvements on the A38 corridor between Lydiate Ash and the Hanbury Turn and consists of 12 individual schemes. Priorities include: • Reducing congestion, increasing journey time reliability and reducing travel costs; • Supporting economic and employment growth; • Supporting all road users by increasing connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists; • Supporting access to and from the M5 and M42 strategic road network. If you have any comments or questions on the proposed Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme email: majorprojects@worcestershire.gov.uk

The deadline for comments is March 20. It is not possible to respond directly to feedback, but all comments will be considered and a summary published on the A38 Bromsgrove Improvements page during early summer. For more details visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/info/20679/a38_bromsgrove_improvements/2163/ bomsgrove_route_enhancement_programme