A MASSIVE hamburger-style traffic system will cost Sandwell council tax payers less than £3 million after the borough won the backing of major funders.

The huge cost saving will mean the Birchley Island in Oldbury, expected to be built for £26 million, will only cost local people £2.6 million.

The new road scheme, next to Junction 2 of the M5, is expected to cut queues and improve traffic flow between Sandwell, Dudley and Birmingham.

A report to Sandwell cabinet members this week shows that the cost of the hamburger-style layout, where the Wolverhampton Road passes through the current island in both directions, will be shared with Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and the West Midlands Combined Authority.

The Black Country LEP will put in £16 million while the Combined Authority pays £7.58 million.

The scheme is expected to reduce delays and congestion, improve bus services and improve road safety.

Announcing the plan Councillor Steve Eling, leader of Sandwell Council, said: “This is welcome news because the Birchley Island is a very congested junction which causes long delays and frustration for thousands of local motorists and drivers passing through.

“The main problem is that the island is used by so many motorists who do not have an alternative route to the motorways or into Oldbury. It is a junction I avoid at all times.

“The new hamburger system will improve the congestion problems even though it will always be a busy junction and the improvements will have a positive impact on bus services and for local motorists.

“It will also be good news for the many Black Country businesses who use the junction to transport goods through the junction onto the regional and national networks.”

The plan was approved when it went before the cabinet at its meeting yesterday (June 13).