A road in Dudley town centre will be closed for two weeks later this month as work on the new £18 million leisure centre gathers pace.

Constitution Hill will be closed from Monday October 26 until Friday November 6. The closure is to enable the use of a large mobile crane to add further steel to the structure of the leisure centre.

The alternative route for traffic will be via Martin Hill Street, Vicar Street, King Street, New Mill Street, and vice versa. Residents living nearby will be informed by letter of the closure in the coming days.

The £18.2 million project - funded by Dudley Council and delivered by Alliance Leisure - will provide a vibrant, modern hub for people to exercise, socialise and relax. The new facility will include a 25 metre, eight-lane swimming pool and a teaching pool with spectator provision. There will be a four-court sports hall suitable for indoor football, badminton and more.

The investment will also include a 100-station gym and fitness suite, two group exercise studios for a wide range of exercise classes and an immersive cycle studio. Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said:

"This road closure represents the next phase of the works. It will enable us to move a large crane onto the site to add more steel to the structure. It’s great to see the work progressing at speed and it won’t be long before the residents of Dudley will have a first-class leisure facility to enjoy.

"The plans are part of a wider major regeneration programme bringing over £1 billion investment to the town centre. The leisure centre will benefit from excellent public transport links through the forthcoming adjacent Metro stop and the nearby bus interchange."

For families with younger children there will be a soft play area with catering facilities and a party room, a café open to all users of the centre and for those who want to relax after their workout session there’s set to be a sauna. The facility will also have a power assisted toning suite to enable those recovering from injury and older customers to enjoy exercising.