Black Country New Road

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The Black Country New Road (or Black Country Spine Road) is a major road which runs through the West Midlands of England.

The first phase of the route was completed in 1995, beginning with a half-mile stretch of dual carriageway linking the A41/A4038 junction in Moxley with the simultaneously-completed Black Country Route.

The next phase of the route started approximately one mile south-east of Moxley, in neighbouring Wednesbury, and terminated at West Bromwich town centre, with a new link road also being completed to give access to Great Bridge.

The third phase was completed in November 1995. This route was late in its completion because it made use of a four-span viaduct-style bridge over Eagle Crossing in the Toll End area of Tipton.

The final phase of the route was completed in 1997, with a one-mile (1.6 km) stretch of Holyhead Road being converted into a dual carriageway at half the cost of the original proposed route which would have made use of an entirely new road.

The completion of the Black Country New Road has opened up several square miles of previously inaccessible land, which has been extensively used for commercial and industrial use.

As well as relieving traffic congestion, the Black Country Spine Road also opened up several square miles of previously inaccessible land around Wednesbury and Tipton. This allowed several businesses to set up along the route and create jobs in an area which in the previous decade or two had been plagued by de-industrialisation and unemployment. Unemployment figures in some of the area surrounding the Spine Road are still relatively high, but the businesses set up along the route have no doubt been an asset to the local economy.