Highways England has signed a partnership agreement with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which aims to reduce congestion and improve journeys for motorists.

As part of the deal, Highways England traffic officers will help combat congestion on roads surrounding the M5 Oldbury viaduct, which is currently undergoing a £100 million concrete repairs and waterproofing project. Overall, it is the largest concrete repair project, by value, ever carried out in Britain.

Traffic officers will provide additional support to:

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• Motorists exiting at junction one and travelling northwest on the A41 towards Wednesbury

• Motorists exiting at junction two and travelling northwest on A4123 towards the Dudley to Burnt Tree junction, which is six miles from the strategic road network

• Motorists when necessary using the A4034, A457 and A4252

West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, said: "It's important that people have confidence that every step is taken to minimise disruption when essential repairs and upgrades take place.

"Firstly, this means closer working between the WMCA and Highways England around planning, so that we can ensure these works go as smoothly as possible.

"And secondly, measures such as introducing traffic officers to local roads means we can act more quickly when there are breakdowns to clear the way and get traffic flowing.

"A huge amount of investment is going into the network in the coming years. This needs to be planned, communicated and managed as well as possible to keep disruption to a minimum. This partnership agreement will help us achieve this."

(LM)