Work Begins on Major A46 Walsgrave Upgrade to Remove Key Midlands Bottleneck

Preparatory work is set to begin this month on a major overhaul of the A46 Walsgrave junction near Coventry, marking the first stage of a project designed to improve traffic flow, increase capacity and strengthen one of the UK's most important freight corridors.

National Highways will begin overnight enabling works from 13 July, paving the way for the main construction programme, which is due to start in September.

When completed in 2028, the upgraded junction is expected to remove one of the final remaining bottlenecks on the eastern side of Coventry, benefiting around 57,000 drivers who use the route every day.

Transforming a key strategic junction

The existing Walsgrave junction links the A46 with the B4082 via a three-arm roundabout that regularly experiences congestion during peak periods.

Under the new design, through traffic on the A46 will be able to pass beneath the junction without stopping, creating a free-flowing route while providing additional capacity for vehicles joining and leaving the local road network.

National Highways says the improvements have been designed to accommodate future traffic growth while reducing delays and improving safety.

Supporting one of Britain's busiest trade corridors

The A46 forms a vital part of the UK's strategic road network, connecting the South West, the Midlands and northern England while linking major manufacturing centres with key ports.

According to National Highways, the route carries a significant proportion of both passenger traffic and freight movements, making reliable journey times essential for businesses and the wider economy.

Project Manager Emma Winter said the scheme represents another important investment in the wider A46 corridor.

"Motorways and major A roads play a key role in keeping the UK economy moving, carrying a third of all traffic and two thirds of freight."

She added:

"The A46 is a major trade corridor between the South West, the Midlands and the North, which is why we are removing this bottleneck on the outskirts of Coventry."

Part of wider regional investment

The Walsgrave scheme forms the latest stage of National Highways' long-term programme to improve the A46 Trans-Midlands Trade Corridor.

The organisation believes improved connectivity will support economic growth across the region by making it easier for people to access employment, encouraging investment and unlocking future housing and commercial development.

Emma Winter said:

"The new-look Walsgrave junction will reduce delays by delivering much-needed additional capacity, better connectivity and safer journeys for the drivers using the road every day."

She added that the project would also support wider ambitions to improve transport links between the M5 and the Humber ports, strengthening the resilience of one of England's most important logistics corridors.

Overnight works begin this month

The first phase of work will focus on preparing the site for major construction.

Contractors will install temporary traffic management, clear vegetation, erect signage and create temporary construction access points.

To facilitate the work, lay-bys between Walsgrave junction and M6 Junction 2 will be closed while overnight carriageway closures are implemented.

The northbound A46 will close overnight between 13 and 31 July, with the southbound carriageway closed during the nights of 3 and 4 August.

Closures will operate between 8pm and 6am, Monday to Friday, with clearly signed diversion routes and a temporary 50mph speed limit remaining in place throughout the enabling works.

Completing the Coventry upgrades

The Walsgrave project follows the successful completion of the nearby A46 Binley junction improvement scheme, which opened in 2022, replacing the former signal-controlled roundabout with a grade-separated interchange.

Together with the earlier Tollbar End improvements completed in 2017, the Walsgrave upgrade will remove the last remaining at-grade roundabout on the eastern section of the A46 north of Coventry.

Once complete, National Highways expects the upgraded junction to deliver faster, more reliable journeys, strengthen freight movements through the Midlands and help support long-term economic growth across one of the UK's most strategically important transport corridors.