Burnt Tree

Burnt Tree, formerly known as Burnt Tree Island, is a busy junction in the Black Country. It is often regarded as the centre of the West Midlands conurbation, naming all but two of its Primary Destinations - Brownhills and Solihull miss out.

History

The location was originally the junction of the A461 and A4033 on the eastern edge of Dudley. The opening of the A4123 in 1927 made it a 5 arm junction. For the vast majority of its existence the junction was a roundabout. Regular congestion has meant there have been plans stretching back decades for improvements. In 1963 plans for an underpass were discussed. By 1966 plans for a temporary flyover were published by the Ministry which Dudley County Borough Council fought against fiercely claiming it would be detrimental to nearby houses and stating that these things have a nasty habit of becoming permanent. The idea of a flyover persisted until the 1970s with the council still pushing for an underpass instead. Nothing ever came of these plans.

By the 21st century with congestion still a major problem another attempt was made to improve the flow of traffic. Grade separation was ruled out this time on cost and environmental grounds. Instead it was proposed to replace the roundabout with traffic lights. Having 5 arms didn't help matters so the A4033 was diverted to join the A4123 to the east of the A461 to create two separate traffic light junctions. The new layout opened in 2011.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
A4123	Wolverhampton, Coseley, Tipton, Sedgley
A4123	(M5), Birmingham, Oldbury (A4033) (A457)
A461	Stourbridge, Brierley Hill, Dudley
A461	Walsall, Great Bridge, West Bromwich (A41)