Dawnus wins £26m highways scheme

A £26 million highways improvement scheme has been awarded to Dawnus Construction.

Walsall Council has tasked the Swansea-based contractor with reconstructing Bentley Road South, Bentley Mill Way, building a new roundabout at Wallows Lane and widening the junction at Darlaston Road and Bescot Road, in what is known locally as the Brown Lion Junction.

The scheme will improve a number of routes near the M6 as part of the wider Black Country Enterprise Zone to bring in new business and create thousands of jobs.

Work is set to start on Bentley Road South as early as September/October. The road will be resurfaced and realigned with the railway bridge which was built in 2009 to enable HGVs to use the road as a main arterial route between Darlaston and Bentley.

From October, Bentley Mill Way will be widened and repairs carried out on the James Bridge Aqueduct. The junction at Wallows Lane will be changed to a roundabout with improved pedestrian crossing facilities.

The Brown Lion junction will be enhanced with new traffic signals, a widened carriageway and extra lanes on three of the approaches. The scheme, which will start next summer, will improve the safety and capacity at the junction and crossing facilities will be enhanced for pedestrians.

Walsall Council's portfolio holder for environment and transport, councillor Lee Jeavons, said: “The importance of this project, not just for Walsall but for the regional and strategic highway network cannot be underestimated.

“Better roads around the Black Country Enterprise Zone, which includes Darlaston is going to unlock land which can be used to create thousands of jobs and improve the operating environment for businesses in the area.”

Martin White, Midlands director for Dawnus, added: “We are very proud to be playing such a major part in the development of Darlaston and unlocking the area for future jobs and associated improvements.”