£93m Expressway repair works to take five years
Huge project to upgrade major A38(M) route into city centre
MAJOR works to repair a critical Birmingham viaduct which carries the Aston Expressway is to start next year.
The project, which will ensure the future of the Tame Valley Viaduct, will take five years to complete.
The elevated six-lane carriageway, which runs south off the Spaghetti Junction, is now 50 years old.
City leaders said the repairs are urgent and without them, the road would eventually have to close.
The Government ordered the work after routine inspections showed it was starting to show signs of deterioration. More than 80,000 vehicles a day use the route, many more than it was designed for when it was built in the 1970s.
The cost of the programme will be £93 million, with the Department of Transport contributing £72 million, and the remainder coming from Birmingham City Council and the Local Growth Fund.
The viaduct forms the northern section of the A38(M) Aston Expressway and links the city centre to the M6. The work will involve strengthening the viaduct and applying anticorrosion paint to preserve its longevity and minimise future work.
While the repairs are carried out, the viaduct will remain open and there is expected to be no or little disruption to traffic.
Transport minister Baroness Vere said the viaduct was the “lifeblood of Birmingham” and also connected the city to the rest of the country.
“We recognise its importance, and that’s why we’re investing such a significant amount of money – £72 million – to safeguard the future of the structure and keep local supply chains and public transport services running smoothly,” she said.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street welcomed the project, saying without it, the viaduct would have needed weight and width restrictions within a few years and one day could have been closed down completely.
“The Tame Valley Viaduct is a vital part of our regional road network, but one that urgently needs some work,” he said.
“The 80,000 vehicles a day it carries is far more than what it was designed for when it opened in the early 1970s and so I am delighted that, thanks to the government putting this cash on the table, we can now press on and get this essential maintenance work done.
“We are making a huge effort to encourage people to use public transport across the West Midlands, but people who rely on the car cannot be ignored and roads such as the Aston Expressway remain a critical part of our region’s infrastructure.”