Significant delays for commuters, airport passengers and freight vehicles could soon be a thing of the past on what was voted ‘the worst motorway in the UK’ last year
Swathes of British drivers are slated to benefit from a major road opening near one of the UK’s busiest airports – following years of stagnant traffic.
After more than four years of major disruption and congestion, a new dual carriageway has finally opened on a busy motorway, massively improving connectivity for thousands of UK motorists. The A4545 dual carriageway at Junction 5a on the M42 is now fully operational, providing much-needed access to Birmingham Airport — one of the country’s busiest airports.
Efficient road access is vital to supporting the airport’s growth and ensuring that passengers and cargo move smoothly. The upgrade is part of a broader strategy to enhance infrastructure around key transport hubs in the Midlands.
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The development, which centres around the Clock Interchange roundabout, now offers drivers a far more direct route from the M42 — voted the worst motorway in the UK last year — to the airport. The improvements to this critical junction have been underway since 2021, with incremental progress made over the last few years.
Towards the end of 2024, one lane of the motorway was opened to traffic, marking an important milestone. Skanska, the construction company responsible for the project, stated it had ‘successfully opened a brand new A-road and motorway junction to traffic for the first time today [December 18]’.
The company added: “Our project team has been carrying out extensive construction works on the scheme for the last three years to tackle heavy congestion at M42 junction 6.” The new dual carriageway is expected to ease congestion and reduce travel times for commuters, airport passengers and freight vehicles.
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For many years, the area around Junction 5a has been plagued with seemingly endless traffic jams and delays, causing frustration for drivers and impacting the smooth operation of the airport. The completion of this road is a major step toward resolving those issues.
In addition to the dual carriageway, a dedicated slip road off the A4545 into Birmingham Airport also opened on June 27, further streamlining the flow of traffic — the removal of temporary traffic management measures also helping conditions in the area. Highways Operations Director for Skanska, Jason Gostling, said: “The team has worked extremely hard and it’s fantastic to achieve this important milestone.
“In addition to the 2.4km of road we’ve also built four new bridges that span the dual carriageway along with 1.1km of slip road. This has been a complex project to design and deliver, especially given the close proximity to Birmingham Airport. The road has been sunk into the ground to minimise the noise and impact on the local communities and environment.
“Close to a 1,000,000m3 of soil has been excavated to achieve this and 80,000 shrubs and tree whips planted. Once grown these will further help screen the road. I’m immensely proud of the whole team for all their efforts.”
While the dual carriageway is now open to the public, the entire project is not expected to be fully completed until winter 2025, with final touches and additional infrastructure work continuing over the coming months. But thankfully, the major benefits for drivers are already being felt.
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