Motorists reminded of tunnels night closures
Motorists who travel in and around Birmingham overnight are being reminded of the ongoing tunnels works which require the St Chad's and Queensway tunnels to be closed on various nights throughout September and October.
The overnight tunnels closures are scheduled from:
• 10pm until 6am each night - 1st September to 23rd September inclusive.
• 10pm until 6am each night - 10th October to 28th October inclusive, with the exception of the 18th and 19th of October.
The tunnels will be open 24 hours a day from September 24th until Thursday 9th October however works will continue inside the plant rooms while the tunnels are open to traffic.
The planned overnight closures, which were extended to include additional dates in October, are to allow for testing and commissioning the new systems as well as final completion activities, including painting and cleaning of walls. The revised overnight schedule was announced earlier this month due to the unpredictable nature of the testing works and to help the team avoid major events in the city such as the Conservative Party Conference.
Special traffic management measures have also been planned during the night closures including later closure start times and localised diversion routes to assist high profile events in the city centre, NIA and ICC. Closures will also avoid the Great Birmingham Run half marathon event.
A calendar that outlines the September and October dates for overnight closures can be downloaded from the website, www.brumtunnels.co.uk.
The tunnels, which carry traffic through Birmingham City Centre, reopened to daytime traffic on Monday 1st September having been completely closed for six weeks in the summer for the second phase of essential refurbishment works to bring the tunnels up to modern European standards. This includes the installation of the very latest technology that will make the maintenance and management of the route much more efficient and responsive.
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Notes to Editors
• The second phase of the tunnels works will complete the upgrade to the tunnels by renewing the ventilation system, installing new security and communications systems, replacing electrical systems and refurbishing pumping stations and plant rooms. During the six week closures, works included the installation 25 modern jet fans, Video Accident Incident Detection (VAID) system, CCTV and PA system - all requiring over 40 miles worth of cabling and thousands of electrical connections.
• In 2010, Amey won the Birmingham Highways Maintenance and Management Service contract to manage and maintain the city's roads over the next 25 years. The contract will see a huge investment into the city's road network and Amey is working in partnership with Birmingham City Council to deliver the contract. The works include refurbishment and improvement of the city's roads, footways, bridges, tunnels, street lighting and traffic control systems.
• Amey is a leading UK public and regulated services provider with over 21,000 employees.
• Amey operates over 320 contracts, providing an unrivalled range of services including utilities, highways, waste management, rail, justice solutions, social housing and facilities management. Services are underpinned by our leading consulting and asset management capabilities, which allow us to offer stand-alone or integrated service solutions to a range of clients.
For more information, contact Lara Thorns on 07843 368954, email [email protected]
