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Western Orbital

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Western Orbital
Location Map ( geo)
Cameraicon.png View gallery (1)
From:  Bromsgrove (M5, M42) (SO969756)
To:  Cannock (M6, M6 Toll) (SJ929111)
Via:  Wolverhampton
Distance:  42 miles (67.6 km)
Meets:  M5, M42, M54, M6, M6 Toll
Primary Destinations
Traditional Counties

Staffordshire • Worcestershire

Route outline (key)
Western Orbital Bromsgrove - Cannock
Junction List
Junc Northbound Southbound
- M5, M42 M5, M42
- A491 A491
- A456 A456
- A458 A458
- (A449) (A449)
- A454 A454
- A41 A41
- M54 M54
- (M6 Toll) (M6 Toll)
- M6 M6
Globe.png
For detailed information about this topic, see Pathetic Motorways
See Also: Kidderminster, Blakedown and Hagley Bypass

The Western Orbital (or formally A Western Orbital Route for the West Midlands Conurbation) was a proposed motorway that would have passed to the west of Wolverhampton and the Black Country.

Whilst a high-quality route around the western side of Wolverhampton had been proposed since the 1920s, the Western Orbital route crystallised in the early 1970s as a specific proposal to bypass both the A449 and the only very recently completed sections of M6 and M5 that ran through the Black Country, from the M5 junction 4 (where it would have met the equally stillborn M42 Lydiate Ash Link) to the M54 to the west of junction 2; with a secondary benefit of vastly improving the road communications to the western side of the conurbation and improving access to Wolverhampton Airport. At this stage, the route was split into various sections as Wolverhampton Western Bypass, Stourbridge Bypass and Kidderminster Eastern Bypass.

Over the next decade and a half, the proposals saw some minor alterations mostly at either end; the southern end was moved further south to be at M5 junction 4A once the Lydiate Ash Link had been cancelled; and at the northern side the formerly proposed section of A446(M) between M6 and M54 which did not tie-in well with the Western Orbital was removed from that proposal and a route of similar function added to the Western Orbital instead, which was the section from M54 to the M6 north of junction 12; with an additional spur across to what became the M6 Toll between between M6 Junction 11A and Junction T8.

This form was that which received the most publicity when it was included within Roads For Prosperity, with the only major route question being whether the route would pass to the west or the east of Codsall. Eventually, the preferred route was chosen as the east of Codsall route, through the small gap that exists between Codsall and the main Wolverhampton urban area.

Perhaps not surprisingly, as the route passed many of the semi-rural commuter villages to the western side of the Black Country it was not popular in the immediate locality with a number of protest groups being formed, although the route was supported by the urban local authorities the route passed just outside of.

The Western Orbital itself was cancelled in 1996, but resurrected as an all-purpose road in 2001 as the Wolverhampton and Stourbridge Western Bypass before again being cancelled in 2003. In May 2018, it was reported that Midland Connect, the transport body of the newly-formed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), were interested in reviving the plans, with yet another new name, that of Western Strategic Route. Whilst these plans are still live, they are considered to be "long term" so there is no immediate prospect of a new road in this corridor being constructed.

It should also be noted that the 1990s route is no longer viable at the northern end, due to the construction of the Western Extension of the i54 Business Park and the Jaguar Land Rover engine plant being built on the line of the route next to M54. In addition, the West Midlands Rail Interchange project is proposed to be built over the northernmost section of the then-planned route near to M6 J12.

Myths

It is a common misconception that the proposal's name is "Birmingham Western Orbital", and that it was designed to form part of a ring around the West Midlands Conurbation. In fact, the route itself is well to the west of Birmingham's sphere of influence, and indeed the M5 itself already forms a western orbital of that city.

In addition, whilst there would clearly be some orbital traffic induced by the proposal, such traffic is not a primary consideration of the proposal. For example, the Midlands Connect Midlands Motorway Hub Summary Report[1] reads:

The Western Strategic Route would potentially have a transformational impact on the economic performance of the Black Country. It would significantly improve connectivity from areas that are currently less well connected, including Stourbridge, Dudley and the southern parts of Wolverhampton. It will support long distance freight movements from the North West to the South West through the Midlands. Wider impacts indicate it could change future growth dynamics in Worcestershire, Telford and Shropshire.


References



Western Orbital
Junctions
Places
Related Pictures
View gallery (1)
Proposals for new Trunk Roads, 1948 - Coppermine - 4026.JPG
Other nearby roads
Wolverhampton
A41 • A446(M) • A449 • A454 • A457 • A459 • A460 • A462 • A463 • A464 • A464 (Oaken - Nantwich) • A4038 • A4039 • A4098 • A4123 • A4124 • A4126 • A4150 • A4444 • A4510 • B4155 • B4156 • B4157 • B4158 (Wolverhampton) • B4159 • B4160 (Wolverhampton) • B4161 • B4162 • B4162 (Monmore Green - Deepfields) • B4163 • B4164 (Moxley - Ocker Hill) • B4200 • B4454 (Wednesfield) • B4464 • B4483 • B4484 • B4563 • B4590 • Bilston Link Motorway • C6 (Staffordshire) • C40 (Staffordshire) • C108 (Staffordshire) • C114 (Staffordshire) • C116 (Staffordshire) • C137 (Staffordshire) • C153 (Staffordshire) • C170 (Staffordshire) • C184 (Staffordshire) • C234 (Staffordshire) • C259 (Staffordshire) • C260 (Staffordshire) • C272 (Staffordshire) • C273 (Staffordshire) • C335 (Staffordshire) • C500 (Staffordshire) • E33 (London - Glasgow) • E34 (Old System) • Holyhead Road • M6 • M6 Toll • M54 • NCN81 • Northern and Western Motorway • T11 (Britain) • T14 (Britain) • T49 (Britain) • T50 (Britain) • U99 (Wolverhampton) • U110 (Wolverhampton) • U111 (Wolverhampton) • U112 (Wolverhampton) • U113 (Wolverhampton) • U114 (Wolverhampton) • U115 (Wolverhampton) • U116 (Wolverhampton) • U117 (Wolverhampton) • U118 (Wolverhampton) • U119 (Wolverhampton) • U120 (Wolverhampton) • U121 (Wolverhampton) • Wolverhampton Outer Ring Road
Dudley
A457 • A459 • A461 • A4033 • A4036 • A4037 • A4100 • A4101 • A4123 • A4168 • B4158 (Dudley) • B4171 • B4172 • B4173 • B4174 • B4175 • B4176 • B4177 • B4177 (Dudley - Kingswinford) • B4178 • B4179 • B4180 • B4458 (Dudley) • B4483 • B4517 • B4558 (Dudley) • B4563 • B4587 (Dudley) • B4588 • Dudley Tour • T14 (Britain)
Stourbridge
Bromsgrove
A38 • A448 • A449 • A459 • A491 • A4024 • B4091 • B4094 • B4096 • B4184 • B4186 (Bromsgrove) • B4551 • Droitwich - Leicester Motorway • E116 (Old System) • Longest Lane • M5 • M42 • T16 (Britain)
Motorways in Great Britain
Current MotorwaysM1 • M2 • M3 • M4 • M5 • M6 • M6 Toll • M8 • M9 • M11 • M18 • M20 • M23 • M25 • M26 • M27 • M32 • M40 • M42 • M45 • M48 • M49 • M50 • M53 • M54 • M55 • M56 • M57 • M58 • M60 • M61 • M62 • M65 • M66 • M67 • M69 • M73 • M74 • M77 • M80 • M90 • M180 • M181 • M271 • M275 • M602 • M606 • M621 • M876 • M898
A1(M) • A3(M) • A8(M) • A14(M) • A38(M) • A48(M) • A57(M) • A58(M) • A64(M) • A66(M) • A74(M) • A92(M) • A167(M) • A168(M) • A194(M) • A195(M) • A308(M) • A329(M) • A404(M) • A601(M) • A627(M) • A635(M) • A666(M) • A823(M) • A1058(M) • A1077(M)
Motorway Spurs • (M4 Heathrow Spur • M25 T5 Spur • Walton Summit M'way)
Former MotorwaysM10 • M15 • M16 • M30 • M41 • M52 • M62 • M63 • M64 • M65 • M68 • M85 • M110 • M111 • M270 • M274 • M531 • M600
A2(M) • A4(M) • A5(M) • A8(M) • A11(M) • A18(M) • A20(M) • A21(M) • A23(M) • A36(M) • A40(M) (Central London) • A40(M) (Buckinghamshire) • A41(M) • A46(M) • A48(M) (Morriston) • A48(M) (Port Talbot) • A65(M) • A102(M) (North) • A102(M) (South) • A423(M) • A446(M) • A604(M) • A638(M) • A696(M) • A1231(M) • A6127(M) • A6138(M) • A6144(M)
Unbuilt MotorwaysM4 Toll • M12 (Woodford - Brentford) • M12 (Woodford - Maplin) • M12 (Brentwood - -Chelmsford) • M13 • M17 • M19 • M31 • M58 • M59 • M60 • M62 RR • M64 • M81 • M82 • M83 • M100 • M272 • M601 • M650
A2(M) • A6(M) (West) • A6(M) (East) • A14(M) • A48(M) • A59(M) • A61(M) • A556(M) • A695(M)
A Ring • Bilston Link • Belmont Link • B-W M'way • CME Bypass • CMW • Central Spine • Chippenham Spur • Coventry N-S M'way • Cublington Airport M'way • Denham Spur • Derby Urban M'way • Droitwich-Leicester M'way • East Coast M'way • EXR • East Kilbride M'way • E-W Underground M'way • Eastern M'way • Euroroute • Friars Goose Xing • Furness Link • Glasgow IRR • GM Western Relief Road • Hamilton-Cumbernauld M'way • Hook Road • Johnstone M'way • Kendal Link • Liverpool Inner M'way • LOX M'way • Malvern Radial • Manchester IRR • Morecambe Link • NE Urban M'way • NXR • N&W M'way • Paisley-Hamilton M'way • POLO • Princess P'way M'way • Reading Urban M'way • Ringway 2 • Sheffield Spur • S Bristol Spur • SCRPDR • SXR • Stirling Corner Link • Strensham-Solihill M'way • Strensham-Solihill M'way • TGAAR • Townhill Link • Trafford Park M'way • Warndon Radial • Watford Urban M'Way • Western Orbital • Weston Spur


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