A4123 Birmingham New Road 8 day closure notice due to West Midlands Metro extension

A section of the A4123 Birmingham New Road will close for eight days next month for the extension of the West Midlands Tube line. The busy A-road will be closed either side of the former ‘Hanson’s Ale’ bridge – located between the A4307 Tipton Road and the A461 Burnt Tree in Dudley – from June 7 to 10 and June 14 and 17.

The bridge, which earned its name from the Hanson’s Mild Ale logo emblazoned on either side, was demolished in December 2023 to make way for the West Midlands Metro extension between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill. A new bridge will be built in its place to carry the trams over the A road.

A new one-way closure of Birmingham New Road will take place between June 21 and 24, allowing traffic to head in the direction of Birmingham only. A new bridge deck will be installed next month, said Dudley Council, which warned of potential delays for drivers and public transport users.

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Birmingham New Road closes

• June 7 – 10, full closure on each side of the bridge
• June 14 – 17, full closure on each side of the bridge
• June 21 – 24, partial closure with one-way traffic allowed in the direction of Birmingham

A Dudley Council spokesman said: “Work to install the Birmingham New Road bridge as part of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill Metro extension is nearing completion. The new bridge will be installed next month, after the old structure was removed last year. .

“Drivers are advised to allow extra time when traveling in the area. Public transport users should check with their operator for any route changes. Pedestrians are asked to follow the clearly signposted diversion route.”

The forthcoming closure of Birmingham New Road is part of the first stage of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension. It will see the tram brought through the Great Bridge and Dudley Port areas of Tipton, crossing Birmingham New Road and Tipton Road before going up Castle Hill in Dudley town centre.

Dudley Interchange

A new transport hub is currently being built in the city center to make way for the West Midlands Tube and replace Dudley’s bus station, which closed in January 2024. Here, passengers will be able to catch buses and trams. The £24 million interchange is scheduled to open in 2025.

Transport for West Midlands, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), said: “Dudley Interchange is a new, state-of-the-art transport hub which will enable passengers to use bus and Wednesbury to Brierley Hill services. The Metro extension will provide a significant improvement in local transport and connectivity for Dudley and is part of the overall regeneration of the town centre.

Phase two of the Wednesbury to Brierley Hill extension will run the tram line from Dudley to Brierley Hill. Work on the project will begin once the first phase is completed, WMCA said.