A38 Route Enhancement Programme, Worcestershire
Midlands Connect is working with Worcestershire County Council to develop a package of improvements for the busy A38 route in Bromsgrove. The scheme will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, better support access to the motorway and speed up journeys for road users.
What is the scheme?
The A38 is one of Worcestershire's most important strategic transport routes. The enhancement programme aims to reduce heavy congestion on the route by providing additional capacity through the widening of the A38, which will in turn reduce journey times and improve journey time reliability for road users.
It will also improve facilities for pedestrians and cyclists by enhancing existing facilities and introducing a new walking and cycling bridge.
What will the scheme do?
- Reduce congestion: Reduce journey times and improve journey reliability for businesses, commuters and local people.
- Encourage active travel: Encourage people to choose active travel with the provision of new and improved walking and cycling facilities.
- Support connectivity: New and improved pedestrian and cycling bridges will better connect the town centre with the rail station, which provides onwards connectivity to economic centres such as Worcester, Hereford and Birmingham.
- Provide new jobs and homes: More than 10,000 homes and 28 hectares of employment land are planned for the Bromsgrove area – it’s important that congestion issues are addressed first, to unlock and support future growth.
What happens next?
In 2019, the A38 Route Enhancement Programme was submitted by Midlands Connect to the Department for Transport for Major Road Network funding. Worcestershire County Council is now in the process of developing an Outline Business Case which will be submitted to the Department for Transport towards the end of 2021.