£11m road scheme completed
An £11m scheme to improve the road system around Birmingham International Station, the airport and the NEC has been completed. The transport system has also been extended to the north of the area.
The scheme will be officially opened by the transport secretary Philip Hammond tomorrow (13 May).
The airport and 'NEC Integrated Transport Access Scheme' was funded by the Department for Transport, and includes improvements to the surrounding roads to provide bus priority, including variable bus lanes and vehicle detection equipment allowing bus priority at junctions.
Bus facilities at Birmingham International Interchange have been improved and traffic management signage has been introduced to help improve traffic flow in the area, especially during large events at the NEC. Passengers from the north of the borough will now have access to the public transport system.
Footpaths and cycle paths have also undergone refurbishment.
Councillor David Jamieson, cabinet member for transport for Solihull Council, said: "This is a major investment in an extremely important and exciting scheme.
"This is scheme was designed to improve and provide direct and convenient public transport in the area, and will impact directly on people's lives and help people out of unemployement, by allowing people to travel and access jobs in places which they otherwise would not have been able to travel to."
