Beechdale & New Invention residents to meet M6 boss at last

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Beechdale & New Invention residents to meet M6 boss at last
Adam Lumley The YamYam 10 Feb 10
After months of night-time road works on the M6 hard shoulder running project, sleepless residents living nearby will at last have the chance to go head-to-head with Highways Agency Chief Executive Graham Dalton.

Families in Murdock Way on the Beechdale and in Wood Lane, New Invention have been demanding to see the highways boss to complain about the disruption and lack of consideration shown by the contractor, Carillion. Trees and fences acting as sound barriers between homes and the busiest motorway in Europe have been torn up without notice and the noise from overnight construction makes sleeping impossible.

The meeting takes place at Walsall Council House on Thursday 11 February at 2:00pm.

Highways Agency Regional Director, Tim Harbot, said: “Things haven't gone as well as we would have liked and we are very sorry about that. We made mistakes and we have learned from them. These lessons will be a part of the national programme for motorways.”

However, on Tuesday it was reported that residents in the Hough Road area of Pleck discovered that fencing protecting them from M6 traffic and construction noise had been torn up without consultation or notice.

Closures on the M6 will continue over the next few months to remove old gantries, strengthen sections of the hard shoulder, create emergency refuge areas and install the new style gantries and signs.

Highways Agency Project Manager, Paul Unwin, said: "To ensure the safety of motorists and to minimise the impact on the 160,000 vehicles which use the M6 on a daily basis, works need to be undertaken at night when traffic is lightest.

"Night works in this area will continue over the coming weeks to remove old and install new overhead gantries. We are making every effort to avoid disturbance to nearby residents and continue to give advance notification of the works.

Hard shoulder strengthening, along with existing work to deliver hard shoulder running on the M6 between Junction 8 and J10A by spring 2011, means that there will be narrow lanes from Junction 8 to Junction 12 of the M6, with a 50mph speed limit in both directions.

Whilst this might improve conditions for motorists travelling through the West Midlands, it seems there will be more sleepless nights for the residents of Beechdale, New Invention and Pleck.

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B'ham Post 18 Dec Highways Agency slammed over M6 Walsall residents
Cllr Ian Shires 13 Dec Frustration as Highways Agency runs ruff shod
Advertiser 10 Dec Roadworks keep family awake

Cllr Ian Shires 30 Nov M6 misery to continue until February 2010?
Advertiser 25 Nov Transport chief to visit Beechdale estate
Express & Star 10 Nov Willenhall M-way family’s anger as noise barrier taken
Cllr Ian Shires 9 Nov No sleep for M6 residents
Cllr Ian Shires 6 Nov M6 takes precedence over residents

Express & Star 20 Oct Carillion sets up M6 rescue service
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YamYam 15 Oct Sleepless nights on the Beechdale again
Express & Star 8 Oct Thieves delay £150m scheme to widen M6
YamYam 2 Oct More trees axed for M6 widening
Cllr Ian Shires 5 Oct Further meeting with HA to discuss plans

Cllr Ian Shires 30 Sep Highways Agency to be held to account
Express & Star 29 Sep Rats plague Beechdale homes near Highway Agency roadworks
Cllr Ian Shires 30 Sep Further talks promised
Cllr Ian Shires 29 Sep M6 Highways Agency fiasco continues
YamYam links 21 Sep Noddy feels the noize and backs Beechdale M6 protest
B'ham Mail 21 Sep Noddy feels the noize and backs Beechdale M6 protest
Cllr Ian Shires 16 Sep Hard hitting talks at Walsall Council over M6 widening
Express & Star 14 Sep M6 hard shoulder scheme is started
Express & Star 10 Sep M6 drivers delayed by roadworks
Express & Star 8 Sep Walsall drivers facing year of motorway delays
Cllr Ian Shires 8 Sep M6 ATM project update

B'ham Mail 27 Jun Beechdale residents in plea to council over M6 widening
Ian Shire's 16 Jun Highways agency won't back down on M6 road scheme
Cllr Ian Shires 11 Jun Highways Agency should back down road now
Walsall Observer 12 Jun Fury over M6 widening plan
Express & Star 10 Jun We made a mistake admits M6 noise contractor
B'ham Mail 10 Jun Residents carry on fighting
BBC News 10 Jun Residents raise M6 noise concerns
Blog Cllr Ian Shires 2 Jun Agenda agreed for M6 dispute

Blog Ian Shires 25 May M6 plans should go south
BBC News 19 May Residents go to Downing St
Express & Star 19 Apr Residents protest to PM
Walsall Advertiser 14 May Noise battle to Downing St
Blog Ian Shires 13 May Calls for more discussions

Blog Cllr Ian Shires 27 Apr Distrust builds over plans
Walsall Advertiser 17 Apr 'Living hell' for residents
Blog Cllr Ian Shires 14 Apr M6 dispute progress
Express & Star 10 Apr M6 tree lop noise upset
Blog Cllr Ian Shires 7 Apr Roadworks raised with MPs
Express & Star 4 Apr Rude awakening from M6 diggers

The Highways Agency M6 upgrade details
Traffic England Walsall roads incident map
Facebook Murdock Way Residents Association

Tags: Roads, Roads-M6, Roads-M6-noise