Birmingham Residents Voice Concerns Over Infrastructure Projects

Residents along the A38 corridor in Erdington report increased traffic delays and dust from construction crews widening the road for a new bus lane and cycle path that began in April.

The upgrades form part of Birmingham City Council’s 2025 transport improvement programme, which seeks to cut journey times between the city centre and outer suburbs amid rising vehicle numbers recorded by council sensors last year.

Work near Aston Villa’s Villa Park stadium and along Lichfield Road has already forced temporary closures of two bus stops used by pupils from nearby Stockland Green School, prompting parents to organise car shares that add fifteen minutes to morning runs.

Daily effects on local routines

Shop owners on Witton Road say footfall dropped by nearly a third since barriers went up in May, with one trader noting that deliveries now arrive two hours later because lorries must reroute through residential streets.

Older residents in the adjacent Perry Barr ward describe difficulty crossing the narrowed pavements while pushing shopping trolleys, especially on days when heavy machinery operates until 7pm.

Community groups including the Erdington Neighbourhood Forum have collected more than 400 signatures on a petition asking for weekend work to stop and for dust monitors to be installed at street level.

Next steps for residents

Council engineers will hold a drop-in session at the Erdington Library on July 18 to show revised traffic plans and answer questions about compensation for businesses affected by the works.

Anyone wanting to submit comments can email the project team at [email protected] before the end of the month, after which final lane configurations are expected to be locked in for the remainder of the construction period scheduled to finish in 2027.