The Chamberlain News

Council issues ‘don’t drive into city centre’ warning as Paradise road closures kick in

Motorists have been warned to leave their cars at home and catch a bus or cycle into Birmingham city centre when the latest road closures around the £500 million Paradise redevelopment kick in.

Official advice from the city council is that delays are inevitable and anyone planning to come into the centre of Birmingham should plan extra time for their journey, or preferably use public transport.

A series of major-road closures will take place from May 10 and last until November.

As a result, it will no longer be possible for vehicles to travel around the Paradise Circus gyratory system. Traffic coming up Summer Row from the ring road will not be able to access the gyratory or get on to the A38 Great Charles Street.

Diversions will operate along Lionel Street and Fleet Street instead.

Traffic heading southwards along the A38 Great Charles Street will have limited access to the gyratory, but vehicles heading northwards along Broad Street will not be able to drive through the gyratory and get on to the A38.

A council spokesperson said motorists should “expect some delays and to plan their journeys carefully”.

Bus services 82, 83, 87, 89, 10H and 126 will be subject to diversionary routes. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to travel through Paradise although the route through Paradise Forum will change this summer.

Businesses and venues on Summer Row will remain open and the A38 tunnels will operate as normal.

The council’s advice to the travelling public is to use public transport, walk or cycle whenever possible. The spokesperson added: “The city centre is well served by rail, bus and metro services.

“If you have to travel by car, consider alternative routes and times for your journey or whether car sharing is a viable option. If you have to drive into the Paradise Circus area, allow more time for your journey.”

Kevin Hicks, Birmingham City Council traffic manager, said:

All the available options to deliver the Paradise redevelopment have been examined and the impact it will have on the life of the city.

The works programme has been developed to keep disruption to a minimum. However the scale of these activities means that impact on traffic flows, particularly at peak times, is inevitable.

We would urge everyone to plan their journeys carefully and where possible use public transport as an alternative to travelling in to the city centre by car.

The development at Paradise supports the council’s Birmingham Connected transport vision for the city which proposes to invest more than £1 billion to create an integrated public transport system to support the growth of the city’s economy and population.  The development will facilitate the delivery of further tram extensions to Centenary Square, improved bus access and better pedestrian and cycling routes within and around Paradise.

More information is available here.