Birmingham City Council is looking to transform Perry Barr and the surrounding areas ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games ©Birmingham City Council

Birmingham City Council has announced the next phase of a major highways improvement scheme which is due to be completed ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The project includes the removal of the Perry Barr flyover, the widening of a carriageway and work on a new bridge at Birchfield Island.

Once completed, a new road layout is expected to provide better access to public transport and improved facilities for cycling and walking.

The work is due to run from January to May in 2021, with the improvements supporting the wider £500 million ($664 million/€560 million) project to transform Perry Barr and the surrounding areas.

Alexander Stadium, which will host athletics competition during the 2022 Commonwealth Games, is in the Perry Barr area of Birmingham. 

"These improvements are much needed, and I am confident that, once delivered, Perry Barr will become one of the most well-connected areas in Birmingham," said Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and the environment at Birmingham City Council.

An Athletes' Village in Perry Barr was scrapped, but a wider regeneration scheme remains underway ©Birmingham 2022
An Athletes' Village in Perry Barr was scrapped, but a wider regeneration scheme remains underway ©Birmingham 2022

"However, these are major works and, although we are working to keep disruption to a minimum, it will have an impact on people’s travel arrangements.

"It’s really important that people start to prepare for the changes in advance."

Plans were in place to build a £500 million Athletes' Village on the former Birmingham City University site in Perry Barr, providing accommodation for 6,500 athletes and team officials.

But the Athletes’ Village was scrapped in August after a review into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic found it could not be delivered on time.

A wider regeneration scheme for Perry Barr continues despite the Athletes’ Village no longer being built.

A total of 1,600 athletes and officials are now set to be housed at the National Exhibition Centre with another 1,900 located at the University of Warwick and a further 2,800 based at the University of Birmingham.

The majority of venues for Birmingham 2022 will be in the city itself, but events are also set to take place in Coventry, Leamington Spa and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.

The Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 8 in 2022 and will be the first major multi-sport event to offer more medals for women than men.