Heads Up

Is it closed in both directions?

Thanks very much, good advice there. Match days always involve a few more prayers than usual anyway!

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If youā€™re going Chester rd way go along Bakers lane past the Queslett Pub onto Aldridge rd then onto Sutton rd at the Foley arms

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Hi Greg- yep itā€™s closed in both directions. So, any traffic that is lucky enough to actually get to J10 from either North or South will have to go up the sliproad as if to exit, then get back on again immediately down the sliproad on the other side.
The traffic on the M6 approaching J10 will inevitably get snarled up, and Iā€™m guessing that the roads around J11 will get really busy as traffic tries to join what will already be a static M6, and thereā€™ll probably be loads of traffic trying to get off the M6 there too.
Could be a good day to use the train if you can.

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Thanks very much. I might get off at Bloxwich and go that way. Back from London for the weekend and donā€™t want to miss seeing Joey Barton getting a warm Walsall welcome!

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Iā€™ll be coming via the M54 so will listen out to see how far back the queue goes on there to gauge where to turn off. Hoping Iā€™m OK to J1 so I can cut through Essington/Willenhall/Darlaston or else it will be J2 (or even J3) and Wolverhampton.

For those coming southbound M6, J11 if the queue doesnā€™t go that far up, else J12 and go A5 east (through Cannock/Bloxwich) or west then south (through M54 J2/Wolverhampton).

Northbound, I think J7 will be a gamble so J5 or J6 and rat run it - or M42/M6 toll to one of the Lichfield exits and then via Muckley Corner.

M5 options are J2 if you can then Birmingham New Road to the Black Country museum junction and then head through Tipton and Wednesbury, or J3 and take your choice of Dudley or Brum.

Or give yourself at least a couple of hours extra journey time and sit it out.

Yes - up and over for both sides of the motorway (funnelled into 1 lane on the lead up), mixing with the usual east/west Walsall to Wolverhampton and the Black Country Route traffic through the lights (and road works) on the top - so if youā€™re the other side of the M6 coming in that way Iā€™d give it a miss as well (Bentley Mill Lane or Darlaston/Wednesbury would be my choice).

Fingers crossed there arenā€™t any bumps or breakdowns to slow it down even more ā€¦

Traffic England (The highways agency) seems to be saying that the works wonā€™t be happening over the week-end on the southbound side only on the northbound:



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Trouble is these things have a tendancy to overrun so I would check just before you travel.

All I know is that the overhead signs both north and south (also on the M54 and M5) said the junction was closed for the whole weekend.

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Obviously the right hand doesnā€™t know what the left hand is doing!
Typical government shooting itself in the foot.

Would that be the left foot or the right foot?

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Iā€™ll be avoiding the M54 altogether and go via the A5 and drop down through Pelsall and Rushall.

Theyā€™re hoping to lift a bridge section into place which requires the use of a specialist crane. If the crane is not available they canā€™t do this job, and presumably theyā€™ll do some other, less inconvenient work instead.
My sources tell me that the crane is currently on hire to a Mr J Bonser, who needs it to lift his wallet into his helicopter, which due to its weight might take quite a while.

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Iā€™ll risk it and go with the M6 northbound and get off at junction 7.
Go along Birmingham rd and turn left at the Bell.

To br fair I catch the train so am.not too bothered about the M6 on Saturday.

I have got to be at Manchester Airport by 2.30 on Sunday morning so if anyone knows anything about delays over night let me know :wink:

No delays but j13 onward is a 50/60 zone for much of the travel towards the airport. Once youā€™re off the M6, thereā€™s 50 restrictions on the roads up to the airports too.

Sorry to say the Fryatt is also closed-- its a covid isolation hotel till Oct.
i tried to book in for the now cancelled sporting night.

Cheers mate. 50/60 speed limits are a pain but itā€™s motorway closures that can really cock up a journey :wink:

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Donā€™t I know it. Last few, years travelling up M1/M6 has had countless 50 zones whilst they were converting section to smart motorways. I got into the habit of leaving the M6 to go onto the A5 instead of the M1 as at least the A5 was a 60 limit!

Also can remember several Tuesday night games where the M6 was closed in sections and we got routed through Coventry. One time I got a speeding ticket after being caught doing 58 in the 50 average speed limit zone near J4 at about 11pm at night with barely anything on the road.

Thereā€™s only one other local 3pm kick-off (Blues) on Saturday so I think our game is likely to be on WM. Some small consolation maybe for all the supporters still stuck in their cars on the M6 past 3pm.