Residents have warned of traffic ‘mayhem’ next week as work on the multi-million-pound A38 Bromsgrove improvement scheme is set to start.

Worcestershire County Council announced on Friday (January 5) that preparations are underway to begin work on two schemes as part of the £50 million Bromsgrove Route Enhancement Programme (BREP). 

The work will improve the A38 through Worcestershire between the A38 corridor from Lydiate Ash (M5, Junction 4) to Hanbury Turn (junction with B4091 Hanbury Road).

Site clearance works are due to start on Scheme B at the Buntsford Drive and Sherwood Road roundabouts, and Scheme E at Oakalls Roundabout, with temporary site cabins being put in place near Buntsford Drive during the week starting January 15. 

Despite promising to relieve bottlenecks and congestion along the carriageway, Bromsgrove residents have taken to social media to voice their concerns about the disruption with calls for a new bypass to help traffic flow instead.

One resident said: “What an absolute abomination it will cause months of disruption for no benefit whatsoever.”

Another social media user said: “This is going to be a nightmare.”

Another resident added: “Let the carnage begin, Bromsgrove will be in mayhem.”

In response to reactions from the community, a spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said the benefits of the scheme in reducing congestion and the improvements to walking and cycling routes outweigh any disruption, which contractors aim to keep to a minimum.

They added: “A technical feasibility study was undertaken which indicated that a bypass is not necessary and the extremely high cost and environmental impact means that such a scheme would be extremely unlikely to attract any government funding unlike the current BREP works which are almost entirely government funded.

“These schemes are part of a wider programme of works to improve the A38 corridor from Lydiate Ash (M5, Junction 4) to Hanbury Turn (junction with B4091 Hanbury Road) to address delay and congestion.”