Commuters and drivers faced severe travel disruption in Birmingham on Monday afternoon after a key city artery was forced to close for urgent repairs.
Expressway Shutdown Causes Widespread Disruption
The A38(M) Aston Expressway, a vital link between the M6, Erdington, Star City, Aston and Birmingham city centre, was closed in both directions from approximately 11:30am on Monday, 19 January. The shutdown was triggered by technical problems with the road's overhead gantries, which manage traffic flow and display vital information to drivers.
West Midlands Roads, the body responsible for the network, announced the full closure just before midday. Access was completely blocked at all major junctions, including Spaghetti Junction (Gravelly Hill), Park Circus, and Dartmouth Circus. This left thousands of motorists stranded and seeking alternative routes during a busy weekday.
Diversions and Public Transport Impact
With the expressway impassable, traffic was diverted onto the parallel Lichfield Road, which swiftly became heavily congested. The ripple effect caused significant delays across the surrounding road network in north Birmingham.
The closure also disrupted numerous bus services. A string of National Express West Midlands buses, including the X3, X4, X5, X14, and X15 routes serving areas like Sutton Coldfield and Erdington, were diverted along the already overloaded Lichfield Road. This compounded travel misery for many residents relying on public transport.
Partial Reopening to Ease Congestion
In an effort to alleviate the mounting gridlock, authorities took the decision to temporarily reopen the city-bound (southbound) carriageway shortly after 2pm. However, the northbound lanes, carrying traffic out of Birmingham, remained firmly shut for several hours as engineers worked to resolve the gantry issues.
West Midlands Roads confirmed the partial reopening was a tactical move, stating: "The into-city carriageway has been temporarily reopened to relieve the pressure and congestion being put on the motorway network. Out of city remains closed."
National Highways, which manages England's motorways and major A-roads, indicated the Aston Expressway was not under its jurisdiction. Birmingham City Council was contacted for comment regarding the incident and the ongoing works.
