Motorways

M5 M6 Motorways

A significant part of Great Barr is affected by the M6 and M5 motorways which connect along the B43 boundary.

At Great Barr on the Walsall Road the M6 junction 7 provides access to the Motorway.

To the North the M6 cuts along the edge of the Great Barr Hall site, crossing over the Queslett Road by the Walsall - Sandwell Boundary.

To the East the M5 arm of the Ray Hall interchange bridges Wilderness Lane before crossing the Tame Valley canal and heading for West Bromwich under the Newton Road.

The M6 Bescott to Ray Hall triangle section (J9 to J8) was started in May 1968 and opened in May 1970

The M6 Ray Hall to Great Barr section (J8 to J7) was started in May 1968 and opened in July 1970. The M5 link from West Bromwich to the M6 (J8) section was started in June 1967 and opened in May 1970.

Tame Valley Canal

Tame Valley Canal

The first plans for a canal through the area in 1794 had the canal closer to the River Tame and following the line of the river. The existing Tame Valley canal was opened in 1844. Originating at Salford Junction the canal enters B43 passing over the Piercy aquaduct across the Old Walsall Road. Continuing west it crosses the Spouthouse aquaduct over Spouthouse Lane.

Passing the "Durham" housing estate the canal has a footbridge (the Chimney bridge?) that links Appleton Avenue and the estate.

It is here that probably the first major work on the cana for 110 years occurred in the Spring of 2005 when emergency lock-gates were added.

A former road bridge, now only suitable for pedestrians links the two halves of Green Lane .

The canal is now in a deep cutting towards the high Newton Road (A4041) bridge (the Sunday or Scott bridge).

The canal now opens out towards the Motorway.

The canal follows an almost rural path towards the M5/M6 interchange where the canal joins the Rushall Canal (1847) at Rushall Junction.