National Highways opening new £61m A46 flyover in Coventry

Motorists travelling to the Commonwealth Games in the Midlands are being given a welcome boost with a new £61 million flyover on the A46 in Coventry set to open later this week. The new 14,000-tonne flyover separates long distance and local traffic, which means drivers staying on the A46 will no longer need to slow down to use the roundabout, reducing congestion and making journeys safer. It is set to open to traffic by 6am on Friday, July 29. Drivers using the new road for the first time are being advised that there is a temporary 40 mph speed limit in place with two lanes running in each direction while some remaining work takes place elsewhere on the structure. The A46 links the East and West Midlands by connecting Coventry and Warwickshire to the motorway network. National Highways Regional Director for the Midlands Andrew Jinks said: “We’re all excited to see the Commonwealth Games taking place in Birmingham and the opening of the new £61m flyover at Binley is a fantastic milestone to mark the occasion. “We know that people will be travelling from far and wide to come and witness sporting history and we expect the roads around the Midlands are likely to be busier than normal. “If spectators are travelling to the event by car, we’d encourage them to familiarise themselves with their route and to check the official Birmingham2022.com website before setting off. Our TrafficEngland.com website also has live updates of incidents across England’s major A-road and motorway network and is well worth a look.” Work will still be taking place at Binley until Autumn with slip road closures required while teams complete the final stages of the project. A diversion route for affected traffic will be signposted. Elsewhere roadworks on the M6 between junctions 4 (Coleshill) and 5 (Castle Bromwich) have also been lifted to help drivers have smoother journeys around Birmingham and avoid impacting on visitors travelling around the region. Work to install a new concrete barrier in the central reservation has recently been completed. The work will replace the existing steel restraint and is designed to prevent traffic crossing over into oncoming vehicles travelling in the opposite direction in the event of an impact. Work on the next phase of the project – installing new lighting and work on the verges along this section of the motorway – will not start until after the Games on Thursday 18 August. To help keep disruption to a minimum for motorists during the event, the existing temporary speed limit will be removed along with the roadworks. A free recovery service for broken down vehicles will remain in place between the junctions to help traffic moving. Some roadworks near the £282m M42 junction 6 project have also been rescheduled to allow motorists easier access to the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) which is hosting several events.   

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