Morning everyone,
Here is your quick 3-minute rundown of what’s actually happening around Great Barr and the B43/B44 area heading into the weekend, so you can dodge the traffic and stay in the loop.
🚧 Traffic & Travel: The A34 Squeeze & More Cones Coming
If the Scott Arms has felt even more gridlocked than usual this week, you aren’t imagining it. We currently have a perfect storm of local roadworks:
Birmingham Road Resurfacing (NEW): This one’s causing the biggest delays right now. Sandwell Council is resurfacing the carriageway from Sundial Lane to just past the library. Lane closures started last night and run through until Saturday morning at 3:00 AM.
Newton Road / Monksfield Ave: The major project to install new traffic signals is still active. Temporary lights, lane closures, and a 30mph speed limit remain in place.
M6 Night Closures: If you drive late shifts or early mornings, National Highways are running overnight closures on the M6 (J7/J8 area) and M5 links between roughly 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM every night through to April 15th.
Worth knowing: Sandwell Council has approved an extra £1.5 million for road and footpath maintenance across the borough, along with 38 new priority safety projects — so expect more roadworks heading into summer.
🚓 Safety: Stolen Vehicle Intercepted
West Midlands Police were active in the Great Barr area earlier this week. Officers intercepted a stolen vehicle and arrested two men aged 22 and 23.
A solid quick result — and a reminder vehicle crime is still active locally.
🐕 New Local Spot: Sandwell Valley Secure Dog Park
Great news for dog owners — Sandwell Council has officially opened a brand-new, fully fenced secure dog exercise field next to the Sandwell Valley Funfair and Visitor Centre.
Cost: £7.50 for a 50-minute private session (up to 3 dogs per booking)
Bonus: A new self-service dog wash has also been installed at the Visitor Centre — no more muddy car seats
🚂 Did You Spot the Land Train?
If you were at Sandwell Valley over Easter you might have caught the Land Train making a comeback, running return trips between the Visitor Centre and Dartmouth Park.
If it proves popular, it’ll likely be back for summer.
That’s your week in B43/B44.
If you found this useful, forward it to a neighbour — the more locals on here, the better it gets.
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Drive safe,
Great Barr Insider