Black Country Living Museum, a 26-acre urban heritage park, in Dudley has received a £347,500 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards its £10m Streets Ahead project.

The funding, along with £1,16m from the European Regional Development Fund and a £20,000 grant from the Lord Austin Trust, will help fast track the development's three main improvement projects for a January 2009 opening.

These include the Bradburn and Wedge project, which will provide facilities for the museum's collection of cars and motorcycles, the reconstruction of buildings rescued from Hall Street in Dudley and a new exhibition hall.

When complete, the Bradburn and Wedge project, will feature a new vehicle display and replica car showroom, telling the story of transport throughout the Black Country, as well as a storage and workshop building.

The museum will use its collection of vehicles and motorcycles to tell the story of transport throughout the Black Country. Visitors will have better access to the vehicles as well as demonstrations, events, lectures, workshops and school-based activities all year round.

Caroline Taylor, campaign manager, said: "This HLF grant will pay for 52 per cent of the Bradburn and Wedge project and will be a wonderful boost for both the museum and tourism in the area."

Over 40 buildings throughout the Black Country (19th century Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton) have been relocated to the museum. The park also offers visitors the option of going underground into a coal mine, taking a trip on a canal narrowboat into the Dudley Canal Caverns.