WORK is underway on the congestion busting Sprint bus route designed to deliver better journey times and more reliable services linking Solihull with Birmingham and Walsall.
The Sprint bus corridor along the A45 and A34 will feature new and extended bus lanes and give buses priority at junctions.
The aim is to bring quicker journey times, giving bus passengers a faster commute.
Construction work has started on Small Heath Highway in Birmingham, with work in Walsall, Sandwell and Solihull due to start later in the year.
More than 95 new bus shelters will complement the route.
Sprint, Birmingham’s first uninterrupted cross-city bus priority route, will be built in stages, with phase 1 ready in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
It will link key venues at the NEC, Birmingham city centre and the Alexander Stadium.
A second phase will follow the completion of the Games.
The project is part of Transport for West Midlands’ long term vision for service improvements and aims to set the standard for bus travel by creating one of the greenest and most reliable corridors.
Last month it was announced that National Express West Midlands will run a fleet of zero-emission buses, including hydrogen-powered vehicles, on the route from May 2022.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “Before lockdown we were seeing increases in bus passenger numbers across the region thanks to investment in contactless payment, simplified fares and live travel information.
“Now with dedicated bus lanes and priority at traffic lights Sprint will offer improved reliability and offer a high quality service on the A45 and A34 which can be a real alternative to the car.”
Funding for the £88m first phase of the project includes contributions of £42m from the WMCA investment fund and £35m from the Department for Transport.
Toi see what Sprint could look like, click https://youtu.be/dpGXvgbKp08
