M42 Closures: Extra Time for Lichfield to Birmingham Airport
The M42 South closed off at Junction 9
As residents of Lichfield, we have all been acutely aware of the impact HS2 construction has had on traffic in the area. But things have got worse for those travelling to Birmingham Airport.
Taxi and private hire drivers have been used to the odd overnight closure and lane reductions on the M42, but now we have weekend-long disruption!
The M42 will now be closed on a regular basis on selected weekends from Junction 9 (the Belfry) to Junction 6 (BHX). This is to complete work on bridges that span the M42 motorway.
Check the latest closure news here:
No problem, you might say — just use the Stonebridge Road (A446) and then pick up the A45 into the airport. The problem with that is that in the early morning, every HGV has got the same idea. When the A446 narrows down to one lane, there are two sets of traffic lights to pass through, and you can get stuck in a queue at either of these for a long time.
So we are recommending that if you are travelling to BHX between 21:00 and 06:00, you allow extra time for the journey. Allow another 10 to 15 minutes as this will allow us to take the Collector Road if it is really solid. The concept of being in a traffic jam at 04:00 in the morning is hard to grasp, but having done it a few times recently, it is not something we would recommend.