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.

Related Content

  • Boost for roads and infrastructure in New South Wales budget
    June 23, 2016
    New South Wales infrastructure and services have received a boost in the 2016-17 budget. The government is investing US$15.3 billion (AU$20.2billion) in recurrent and capital funding, an increase of US$2.8 billion (AU$3.7 billion) on 2015-16. It is also providing significant funding for priority projects, including US$2.2 billion (AU$2.9 billion) for WestConnex, the largest transport project in Australia linking Sydney’s west and south-west with the CBD, the Airport and Port Botany. It will also provide
  • Russia's high speed toll link - aims and opportunities
    July 31, 2012
    Construction of a new toll link between the Russian capital of Moscow and the country's second-largest city, the port of St Petersburg, is due to start in 2012. Here, ITS International takes look at the project to date and the opportunities for foreign companies to get involved. The construction of a new toll link between the Russian capital Moscow and the country's second-largest city St Petersburg has a number of aims. It will lead to the creation of a high-speed vehicular link between the two which will
  • Personal Rapid Transit, clear benefits for European cities
    July 26, 2012
    David Crawford watches the race to get the world's first PRT system up and running. To paraphrase the old joke about buses bunching, you seem to have to wait several decades for a Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) system, and then half a dozen come along together. Currently, in fact, there are well over that number of schemes for driverless electric passenger-carrying 'pod' networks at various stages of planning, design and implementation around the world. Locations range from a straight-off-the-drawing board ne
  • Highways England announces multi-million pound major road improvements
    March 16, 2017
    Multi-million pound road improvement schemes announced today by Highways England are set to help unlock the development of more than 4,000 homes and more than 10,900 jobs. The improvements, worth a total of US$92 million ((£75 million), will create opportunities around Derby and Daventry in the Midlands, Oldham in the North West, Durham in the North East and Taunton in the South West. Highways England is making a US$15.3 million (£12.45 million) contribution towards the schemes from its Growth and Hou