Spaghetti Junction workers dig deep to support local communities

A sensory garden make-over, peace garden renovation and restoration of a market garden were among the projects carried out to support worthy causes close to the Gravelly Hill Junction in Birmingham.  

National Highways is carrying out some TLC on the structure, at junction 6 of the M6. The junction, better known as Spaghetti Junction, is over 50 years old and in need of vital maintenance including concrete repairs and painting.

While the repairs are carried out, the project team is helping out the local communities.

National Highways Project Manager, Colin Jackson, said:

“Whenever we are carrying out large schemes that may run for some time or impact a lot of people, we like to give something back to the local communities where we are working.

“We are delighted to have been able to help such worthy local causes and are grateful for everyone from National Highways, CRL and our supply chain who have volunteered their time to carry out this work which will make such a difference to the charities and the people they support.”

Staff from National Highways and contractor Concrete Repairs Limited, which is heading up the maintenance project, visited Birmingham MIND’s Beechcroft mental health and wellbeing hub which is just around the corner from the Gravelly Hill site.

They have a sensory garden for service users but this had become overgrown, the garden furniture old and shabby and the pond in need of a tidy-up.

To restore the garden to a calming area where people go to reflect, think and meditate, the team provided new garden furniture, benches and tables as well as planters and a bird box.

The garden was tidied up, turf laid in one area and gravel over the remains of an old concrete structure to turn it into a seating area. Around 23 staff volunteered to help out with the project over 5 days

Caption: This area was transformed into a nice seating area, pictured below

A spokesperson for Birmingham MIND, Charlotte Stokes, said:

“The work you have done for us has blown us away, we are so grateful for the beautiful garden you have created. This garden will be treasured by the hundreds of service users we support each year, something we could never have achieved without your kindness and hard work. Thank you so much.”

Volunteers from CRL also got to work on the Salop Drive Market Garden project in nearby Oldbury. The garden is run by Ideal for All which provides services to disabled, disadvantaged and elderly residents of Sandwell, to enhance skills, provide a route to employment, reduce social isolation and maintain independence. 

The highways team, including suppliers Gill Civils and Volker Laser, cleared a large overgrown area and built four compost bins. They also cleared and levelled the area under a polytunnel, putting hard standing down to enable access for wheelchair users and those with accessibility problems.

Caption: The overgrown polytunnel above and, below, getting to work to make it more accessible

Senior Horticulturist Jamie Upton-Speed, from Ideal for All, said:

“Thank you so much for the compost bays and the flooring done in the polytunnel, the work carried out by CRL and the other companies that supported with the work has been vital for us to get the site back up and running efficiently. We have been able to support over 200 extra people on site with the areas that you helped to upgrade.”

Meanwhile teams from National Highways and CRL also stepped in to help spruce up a peace garden at Birmingham Settlement which supports disadvantaged communities in the city and has an outdoor nature and wellbeing centre next to Edgbaston Reservoir.

Volunteers from National Highways offered to help restore the garden with weeding and tidying and levelling off an area which they covered with membrane and covered in white gravel for a pathway.

Unfortunately, they quickly used up all of the gravel that the charity had supplied with a large area still to fill. CRL stepped in to provide the extra gravel and went to the charity to finish off the work.

CRL Highways Manager, Adrian Pike, said:

“At CRL, social value and community support are at the heart of every project we undertake.

“Within the Midlands, CRL has a long association with asset maintenance and protection. Our current schemes include the refurbishment and repair of steel box beams beneath the M6 at Gravelly Hill Interchange which is near to these worthy projects.

“We were more than happy to help these groups that support the local community. A big thanks goes out to all our staff and supply chain for contributing to these community and wellbeing projects.”

Notes to Editors

National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.

Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.

For further information please contact National Highways' press office (24hrs) on 0844 693 1448 and select the most appropriate option:

Option 1: National enquiries (9am to 5.30pm) and out of hours for urgent enquiries
Option 2: North West (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 3: Yorkshire and North East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 4: West Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 5: East Midlands (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 6: East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 7: South East (9am to 5.30pm)
Option 8: South West (9am to 5.30pm)