Skip to main content

Funding boost for West Midlands transport links

The UK Department for Transport has agreed to fund a new bridge which will improve links to three of the West Midlands' economic powerhouses, Baroness Kramer has announced. Building work on the new A45 South Bridge in Solihull can start after the government agreed to provide US$13.8 million in funding towards the full project cost of US$20 million. The new bridge will significantly improve a transport link that carries 50,000 vehicles a day and will directly serve Birmingham International Airport, the
August 19, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

The UK 1837 Department for Transport has agreed to fund a new bridge which will improve links to three of the West Midlands' economic powerhouses, Baroness Kramer has announced.

Building work on the new A45 South Bridge in Solihull can start after the government agreed to provide US$13.8 million in funding towards the full project cost of US$20 million.

The new bridge will significantly improve a transport link that carries 50,000 vehicles a day and will directly serve Birmingham International Airport, the National Exhibition Centre, 3883 Jaguar Land Rover and other businesses which generate over US$4 per year and support over 80,000 jobs.

Baroness Kramer said: “The A45 serves important sites including Birmingham International Airport, the NEC, and employers such as Jaguar Land Rover. This new bridge will reduce congestion and improve safety, and include new pedestrian and cyclist facilities.

The US$13.8 million the government is putting into this project is part of our wider economic plan of investment in our local and national infrastructure to help drive economic growth.”

The new bridge will replace the existing 150 year old structure carrying the westbound carriageway of the A45 over the West Coast Main Line. It will create an extra westbound running lane and an improved access slip road to Birmingham International Airport. A temporary bridge will be created during the work, allowing the route to remain open throughout.

The main works are due to start in January 2015 with completion in August 2016.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Over US$2.3 billion of investment awarded to upgrade motorways in England
    July 23, 2015
    Highways England has appointed six joint-venture companies to design and build ten smart motorways across England as part of a US$2.3 billion investment. Three of these projects will start in autumn this year: two in the Midlands on the M1 J19 to J16 in Northamptonshire and the M5 J4a to J6 in Worcestershire, and one in the north-west on the M6 J16 to J19 near Stoke-on-Trent. The smart motorway schemes, part of the US$23 billion government investment Highways England is delivering between now and 2021
  • First UK variable bus lane opens
    April 17, 2012
    UK highways servicing contractor, Ringway, has successfully delivered a scheme on behalf of Solihull Council to improve travel links in the Solihull area that includes a new variable bus lane, the first of its kind in the UK.The variable bus lane uses the Ringway-installed CCTV and digital signage to adjust the status of the bus lane in order that it does not remain empty during peak traffic times. “This pioneering bus lane is just one aspect of the ANITA Project, which has seen Ringway provide a dedicated
  • Speed limits: is 20 really plenty?
    June 16, 2020
    Speed kills – which means cutting speed should cut collisions. But is it that simple?
  • Federal funding for PennDOT transport projects
    November 14, 2014
    Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has announced federal funding of US$33 million for 56 projects to improve transportation alternatives, according to PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch. Transportation alternative projects enhance pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve access to public transportation, create safe routes to school, preserve historic transportation structures, provide environmental mitigation, create trails that serve a transportation purpose, and promote safety and mob