Birmingham to receive £72M in government funding for vital transport link

Birmingham will benefit from £72 million in government funding for essential maintenance work on a vital road link between the city centre and the M6.

Following years of use and carrying 80,000 vehicles a day in and out of Birmingham city centre – including 900 buses and roughly 8,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) – the Tame Valley Viaduct, which forms the northern section of the Aston Expressway, is starting to show signs of deterioration.

This multimillion-pound investment by the government will ensure the link remains open for years to come. 

Maintaining the link’s future will also support and uphold access to other initiatives in the region, including the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone, HS2 Curzon Street rail station and the Food Hub in Witton.

Transport Minister Baroness Vere said: “This viaduct is the lifeblood of Birmingham, carrying tens of thousands of vehicles in and out of the city centre every single day and connecting it to the surrounding motorways and 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.

“This is further good news for the region following our Integrated Rail Plan, which will see quicker and easier journeys between Nottingham and Birmingham. We’ll continue to level up transport across the country, support local economies and build back better.”

This article was originally published here.