Have just received the following off Highways England:

Highways England need to carry out essential repair work to the M6 northbound carriageway between junctions 7 and 8 to keep it in a safe condition.

From Wednesday, 21 to Tuesday, 27 February, it will be necessary to close parts of the northbound carriage at different times of the day and night as well as during the week and weekend with some overnight closures. From Tuesday, 27 February to Sunday, 4 March we will only need overnight closures.

Background.

The condition of the carriageway surface has deteriorated as a result of one of the wettest years on record followed by a winter spell of falling temperatures. This has resulted in water finding its way into the carriageway, freezing and then lifting and breaking up the road surface above it as it thaws.

We have recently carried out temporary repairs at this location but now need greater intervention to repair the structure. There will be significant disruption to the M6 while we carry out this work and local routes around this area will also be busier than usual.

We recognise that there is a never a good time to carry out roadworks at such a critical point on our network. Safety is our top priority and we need to carry out these repairs to ensure drivers continue to have safe and reliable journeys along this key strategic route.

Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your journeys. You may also wish to consider using public transport alternatives for local journeys around Birmingham and the Black Country.