ALBION fans are being urged to use public transport on matchdays after preparation work started on a massive £22.5 million Government-funded road scheme in West Bromwich that has been hailed as an "exemplar" piece of planning by the Government.

The construction of the A41 underpass at the junction of West Bromwich Expressway, A4031 All Saints Way and the Cronehills Linkway is seen as a catalyst for the massive multi-million regeneration of the town's centre.

Once the preparation work has been completed, work on the underpass is scheduled to begin early next year.

Advanced preparatory work to relocate high voltage electricity cables will start.

To enable the work to be carried out safely there will be temporary traffic management put in place that will inevitably cause considerable traffic delays.

The planned road scheme for the busy dual carriageway will involve building an underpass at the fire station island in order to ease traffic flow from the M5 junction.

For the one week period Monday, November 9 to Sunday, November 15, the work will continue on the A41 with temporary traffic management during off-peak hours only 9.30am to 3.30pm.

For the period Monday, November 16 to Sunday, November 22 , work will switch to the A41 West Bromwich Expressway in the direction away from the M5.

During that time the A41 will be restricted to one lane during off-peak hours 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Drivers are being warned to try to find alternative routes where possible to minimise the delays that the work will cause.

During the duration of the work people using the roads to attend matches at West Bromwich Albion or travelling in to the town centre car parks are being advised to allow extra journey time.