The Department of Transport (DfT) has confirmed that works on a scheme worth almost £50m to deliver upgrades along the A38 Bromsgrove corridor will begin in the coming weeks.
The total cost of the scheme is £49.8m, with DfT supplying £43m and Worcestershire County Council providing the rest of the funding.
The project will involve infrastructure upgrades on a four-mile stretch stretch of the A38 between M42 Junction 1 to the north and the junction of A38 with B4094 Worcester Road in the south.
Changes are being brought in to help reduce road congestion and unlock economic benefits for local communities by increasing connectivity, preventing junction bottlenecks and improving traffic flow to cut journey times.
It is also hoped that the route changes will create new active travel opportunities between Birmingham, Bristol and Gloucester.
According to DfT, the upgrades are expected to develop 1,100 new local jobs and 5,500 new homes, which would could generate more than £93m in economic benefits for Worcestershire and the West Midlands.
Cllr Marc Bayliss, cabinet member with responsibility for economy, infrastructure and skills at the County Council, said: “With over £43m awarded by DfT, 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.”
Local bus services are set to benefit from junction improvements through improved punctuality and reliability; real-time passenger information will likewise be implemented at local bus stops.
A new active travel corridor running parallel to the A38 will also be constructed to make crossings easier and improve cyclist safety, while also supporting the reduction of local carbon emissions.