Programme of closures for ‘vital and unavoidable’ road repairs
A VAST programme of road closures has been announced for major routes into Birmingham for what transports bosses have called vital and unavoidable repair work.
Confirmation of the programme comes as highways chiefs across the Midlands this week said that a fully functioning road and transport network could unlock more than £1 billion of extra economic growth annually and create 300,000 new jobs.
These latest developments will come as a blow to already weary motorists, particularly regular travellers to the city centre, who have been affected by the roadworks at the £500 million Paradise project since January last year.
Research has shown that traffic congestion is costing West Midland firms more than £2.2 billion a year in lost time, additional fuel costs and general stress.
City business leaders called for employers to engage with staff and urged Highways England to build on its communications with the business community and Birmingham’s stakeholders.
Paul Faulkner, chief executive of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, told the Post : “These works will no doubt be frustrating for affected drivers, particularly given the fact there have been a number of closures and works on that stretch of road in recent years. However, these works are absolutely necessary.
“The Aston Expressway was built in 1972 and, like much of the road network built around that time, it requires a large amount of work to keep it up to scratch. Having a safe, well-maintained road network is crucial for businesses and, unfortunately, that does occasionally mean closures are necessary to allow those works to take place.
“We have had discussions with Highways England and there are a significant number of measures being put in place to try to ease the worst of the congestion.
“I would urge Highways England to keep up and build on their communication with the business community and for all city stakeholders to help spread the word on what works are happening when and why.”
The waterproofing and road renewal work at junction six of the M6, more commonly known as Spaghetti Junction, actually started last year but was suspended during “Super September”, when a series of high-profile events took place in the city, including the Rugby World Cup and the opening of Grand Central shopping centre.
Transport bosses then decided to halt the works until after Christmas, but this week confirmed they would resume on June 27.
This second phase is set to be far more disruptive, though, with the Aston Expressway itself to be closed overnight from 8pm to 6am for 24 weeks and across seven weekends, starting from July 22 to coincide with school holidays.
The flexible tidal flow lane system on the Expressway will again be suspended and access from Park Circus and Salford Circus islands will be restricted.
Elsewhere, Small Heath Bridge, which spans the busy A45 dual carriageway and a railway line, will close for up to eight months from July 4 to undergo maintenance work for the first time in 25 years.
Local diversions will be put in place as safety fencing and streets are upgraded and joints replaced on the 110-year-old iron bridge, meaning only pedestrians and cyclists will be allowed to use it.
Referring to the Aston Expressway works, Highways England admitted that engineers “cannot tell the scale of concrete damage” until the carriageway is closed and the road surface removed.
Project manager Jess Kenny added: “The road was built a considerable number of years ago and has reached the end of its life.
“We need to work now to ensure this part of Spaghetti Junction is protected for years to come.
“If we don’t act now, water will cause more and more damage in the structure, corroding the steel reinforcement bars and causing damage to the concrete itself.
“Leaving it alone is not really an option and would mean bigger and more disruptive roadworks in future.”
And referring to the Small Heath Bridge closure, city council cabinet member for transport Councillor Stewart Stacey said: “I understand this will have an unavoidable impact on traffic in the area but I would urge people to consider alternative routes while this vital work takes place, including switching to public transport where possible or using a bike.”
Midlands Connect, the new transport lobbying body campaigning for better links between the East and West Midlands, told the Intermodal conference in Nottingham this week that speeding up journey times could yield local business savings of £460 million a year.
Coun Roger Lawrence, leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council and member of the Midlands Connect board, said this was in addition to projected benefits to the tune of £1 billion in extra economic growth every year and 300,000 new jobs if the two halves of the Midlands transport network could become fully integrated.
He was addressing more than 200 senior decision-makers from the road, rail and air sectors at the twoday conference.
Paul Faulkner