Plans for a multi-million-pound scheme to tackle congestion at a bottleneck junction on the A46 in the West Midlands have received widespread backing after a series of consultation events.

Analysis of the consultation results showed that 66% of respondents felt the upgrade of the A46 Walsgrave junction, east of Coventry, was needed with 43% saying they strongly agreed. Only 10% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

The proposed new look junction – known as a grade separated junction – allows for a free flowing A46 carriageway while also enabling road users to enter and exit the local road network.

As well as removing the bottleneck that causes substantial congestion on the outskirts of Coventry, the National Highways’ upgrade will bring smoother and more reliable journeys for drivers using this road every day. 

Results from the consultation – which have now been published by National Highways – show that 51% of respondents said they agreed with the proposed route and junction, only 20% did not. The remainder did not answer or opted for ‘don’t know’.

National Highways organised a range of events as part of the consultation where they engaged with 560 people. In total 229 responses were received to the consultation.

Some people expressed concern around the safety of the existing junction, particularly if trying to join the A46 from the B4082. A benefit of the proposals is that they bring the traffic onto the road via safer slip roads rather than waiting for a gap in sometimes fast moving traffic.

And there were requests for a hospital link road to be included in the upgrade. A link is part of Coventry City Council’s Local Plan which has allocated land for housing and a blue light access from the A46.