INFO: Frequently asked questions
Which tunnels does the work affect?
The summer closures will affect the A38 St Chad’s and Queensway tunnels. Holloway underpass and the A34 Lancaster tunnel will still be open during these summer closures. Click here for a map.
When are the tunnels closed and how long for?
The St Chad’s and Queensway tunnels will be completely closed to all traffic from 10pm Friday 18 July until 6am Monday 1 September.
In a slight change from last year, the closure will be preceded by two weeks of overnight closures, from 10pm to 6am, and followed by overnight closures (click here for details). This is because we need more time at the end of the project for testing and commissioning new systems.
Like last year, the work will take place during the summer school holidays when experience tells us that traffic flows are already lighter. We are also using information from last year’s closures to ensure we do everything we can to minimise disruption.
Why are you closing the tunnels again? Can’t these works be done using overnight closures to reduce disruption?
The A38 tunnels through Birmingham are over 40-years-old and had never had a full restoration. Last year, essential refurbishment work started in order to bring them up to modern European standards.
The refurbishment was planned to be carried out in summer closures over two years. This year, the upgrade to the tunnels will be completed.
We will have approximate 120 people in the tunnels at any one time and works will be ongoing 24 hours-a-day over the six-week period.
To facilitate the challenging tasks, amount of equipment and the number of people, as well as provide all the welfare requirements (Toilets, break facilities etc) needed, it would be difficult to complete the works without the full closure.
Night and weekend working would also mean the works would go on over a much longer period of time, causing uncertainty and disruption for road users and visitors to the city.
What work will you be doing?
During this second phase, works will include renewing the ventilation system, installing new security and communications systems (including, CCTV, VMS, PA and radio rebroadcast systems), replacing electrical systems and refurbishing pumping stations and plant rooms.
This work will bring the tunnels right up-to-date with some of the most modern technology available, meaning they can be better managed to keep traffic flowing through Birmingham.
For example, vehicle detection cameras will be able to tell if a vehicle has broken down in the tunnel and signs can be set to warn other motorists – helping reduce the impact on traffic flows.
Similarly, new jet fans and new emergency fire response systems will be connected to an Air Quality Monitoring system that was installed last year. This means that, in the event of a fire, all the systems can be activated remotely so that traffic can be directed away from the incident, emergency exit doors can be safely opened so people aren’t escaping into moving traffic and smoke will automatically be removed from the tunnel.
The night closures before and after the block closure will be used to carry out preparatory works and to test and fully commission all the new systems.
So have the tunnels been unsafe until now?
The tunnels were over 40-years-old and had never had a refurbishment. While they were not unsafe, there is a lot of work to do to make them safer and get them to meet modern European standards.
Last year we started this by adding in taper walls and by filling in the gaps in the central wall. This year, we will be improving safety even further by adding these new ventilation, security and communications systems and all the technology needed to manage the tunnels remotely.
What is the advice for motorists and people visiting Birmingham during the closures?
We are once again encouraging people to take up public transport as an alternative to driving into the city, or give cycling or walking a try where possible.
Where bringing a vehicle into the city is unavoidable, we will once again be signing alternative routes which avoid the worst-hit areas, for example the A38 (M) Aston Expressway and Great Charles Street.
People should plan their journeys in advance, keep up to date with the latest traffic information and try and avoid travelling at peak times.
How many people switched to public transport last year? What will happen if you don’t get similar numbers heeding the advice this year?
Over 200,000 additional journeys were made on public transport last year and similar numbers will need to heed the advice again this year to ensure the roads are kept moving.
We want to thank those people for their efforts last year and at the same time appeal to everyone in the city not to be complacent.
If similar numbers of people do not switch to public transport or change their journeys, then we could encounter significant congestion on the road network – something we do not want to see.
What have you done to help public transport providers prepare?
We are working closely with the public transport providers and Centro to ensure that they are prepared for the closures and the potential increase in numbers on their services. We have worked with the bus companies to ensure routes take into account the closures and we have put bus priority measures in place where possible.
Will businesses in the city suffer?
Evidence from last year’s closures suggests that people still came into the city centre but they chose to travel differently.
We are keen to stress that Birmingham remains open for business during the tunnels closures and that this summer will still be a great time to visit the city.
We are working closely with the business community in Birmingham to help them prepare.
In the long term, this project will bring benefits to the city and the businesses based here. The tunnels are a vital part of the city’s road network and this essential work will ensure we can prepare them for the future. Ultimately, all the work we do in the Birmingham is about making it a better place to live, work and do business.
What are you doing to help businesses prepare?
We are working closely with the business improvement districts and employers in and around the city to understand the potential impact and ensure they are prepared ahead of the closures, including helping them with spreading the message about the closures within their communities.
We are also working with businesses to help them promote the great reasons why people should visit the city during the summer. Click here for some great offers on attractions.
Can you guarantee work will only take six weeks?
This is a big project which we have spent a lot of time planning and developing detailed and realistic construction plan that include the installation and commissioning of the technological systems.
We will be checking our progress on a daily basis and of course will do everything in our power to complete the work as quickly and efficiently as possible.
I live in the city centre. Will there be a lot of noise?
Due to the nature of the works, there is the possibility of some noise near to the entrances of the tunnels. We will monitor noise levels on the site and reasonable measures will be put in place to minimise the nuisance from noise, for example by ensuring noisier activities are carried out during the day time.
Why not let general traffic use bus lanes during the tunnels closures to help ease congestion?
We have done extensive traffic modelling that shows that, in order for us to be able to close the tunnels without causing major congestion, we need to reduce the number of motorists using the key routes nearby.
The best way for us to do that is to promote the use of public transport and ensure that measures are in place to ensure that buses are not adversely affected by any delays. This is why we have included extra bus priority measures at Broad Street and St Chad’s and is why we would not suspend other bus lanes in or around the city during the closures.
