Four big construction projects taking over the Midlands

A recent boom in investment in the Midlands is expected to keep the construction industry very busy over the next five years, according to a report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). We should expect to see the most development to our roads and railways- with output from the industry predicted to soar by more than 10% a year. 

The £11 billion High Speed 2 (HS2) railway line as well as the expansion of the West Midlands Metro are just some of the projects that will change not only the way we connect with each other, but with the rest of the country. Keep reading to discover a few more projects.  

1. HS2

Around 22,000 construction jobs will be created to build Phase One of the new high speed railway, which will initially link Birmingham to London. 7,000 of these jobs will be based in the West Midlands, according to Birmingham Live. 

During this first phase, workers will need to construct 140 miles of dedicated track, as well as four new stations and two new depots. The project is expected to provide quicker transport between the two major cities –  as a guide, a journey from Birmingham to London will be reduced from one hour 21 minutes to just 49 minutes. The second phase will look to incorporate the North and Scotland.

2. Alexander Stadium 

As the city prepares to host the Commonwealth Games in 2022, work is being carried out on Alexander Stadium, where many events will take place including the opening and closing ceremonies as well as the track and field events. The refurbished stadium will be able to cater for up to 40,000 spectators  and is reportedly the largest permanent facility to host major athletics in the UK. 

3. West Midlands Metro 

Construction for the first phase of the expansion of the West Midlands Metro involved connecting Birmingham Westside to Centenary Square. Work is now underway to connect the Library of Birmingham to Edgbaston. According to the Metro Alliance, the project is expected to improve air quality and congestion as a direct result of more people using the environmentally friendly trams.

However, over the next few years, we should expect to see much more expansion.  The network is expected to triple in size, connecting Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Dudley, Brierley Hill, Digbeth, North Solihull, Birmingham Airport, the NEC and HS2 with over 80 tram stops.

4. Perry Barr flyover

Although many were opposed to the tearing down of the historic Perry Barr flyover, the proposed new dual carriageway system is expected to reduce congestion and open up the area for pedestrians and cyclists, as it will sit on ground level. 

The flattening of the flyover is part of a wider investment plan to regenerate the area, which will include 2,000 new homes built on the former Birmingham City University site. 

There are lots of exciting projects on the horizon that will no doubt bring more investment opportunities to our region. If you would like to be part of shaping the future of our region then a construction and built environment course at Walsall College could be the way forward. We have purpose built construction facilities with industry standard equipment to help you get ahead.

Apply now to secure your place for September.  See our Construction and Built Environment courses