Birmingham A38 tunnel closures: Plea to drivers

Local traffic will be diverted around the city's middle ring road

Drivers going to and from the north of Birmingham city centre are being urged to plan alternative ways to travel when two major tunnels close for six weeks.

The A38 St Chads and Queensway tunnels will shut for repairs and new lighting from 19 July to 2 September.

Drivers coming from outside Birmingham will be urged to avoid the Aston Expressway and use other motorway junctions instead.

Local traffic will be diverted around the city's middle ring road.

Commuters have also been urged to look at travelling by train instead over those six weeks.

The council has said traffic levels are 30% lighter during school holidays but urged anyone wanting to drive to leave a lot of extra time for each journey.

Council officials say the 40-year-old tunnels are in desperate need of updating.

They said working on both the tunnels during the day and night for six weeks was cheaper than just closing them overnight or working on them one tunnel at a time.

The city council and its roads contractor Amey have set up a website giving details of the tunnel closures.