UPDATE Wednesday 6th June:
Birmingham City Council have now issued a statement to clarify the situation with new speed limit signage as new 30mph signs on A38 and Lickey Road are covered to avoid confusion.
A spokesman said: “As part of the Longbridge Connectivity Project, and to improve road safety, the existing 30mph speed limit on Lickey Road will be extended up to the Bristol Road South junction. On Bristol Road South, the speed limit will be reduced from 40mph to 30mph from just west of the Park Way junction up to the existing 30mph limit at Northfield.
“Work began yesterday (5 June) to install new speed limit signs as well as temporary red and white signs advising of the new speed limit (‘new 30mph speed limit in force’). Once all new signage is in place, the old, redundant signage can be removed. To avoid confusion, the new signage has now been covered up while this work is completed. The new speed limit signs will be uncovered once the old speed limit signs have been removed (we anticipate this will be completed by the end of next week). The temporary red and white signs advising of the new speed limit will be uncovered once the new speed limits come into force, which we expect to happen by mid-July once the statutory process is completed.”
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Readers were confused after signs for a speed limit change – from 40mph to 30mph – appeared on the A38 between Northfield and Longbridge yesterday (Monday 4th June).
B31 Voices now understands that speed limit changes between Northfield and Rubery will not be implemented until later this summer.
Confusion
The 30 limit speed camera signs appeared, leaving locals worried that they may be hit by a barrage of parking tickets.
Motorists were unsure what the speed limit actually was, since both 30 and 40 signs appeared to be in place for the same section of road.
New signage removed?
B31 Voices has been awaiting a statement from Birmingham City Council highways department but this evening it appears that the 30mph speed camera signs are being taken down as workmen tell a local councillor they went up ‘too early’.
Cllr Olly Armstrong (Lab, Northfield) said: “I’m increasingly frustrated with the irony that our road planning seems disconnected and chaotic. I will be raising concerns with the cabinet member who oversees roads.”
When and where to expect the change
We understand that the A38 speed limit will become 30mph between Northfield, all the way around to Great Park in Rubery once the works being carried out on the route as part of the Longbridge Connectivity Plan are completed.
All the 40mph signs will be removed – 30mph signs will not be necessary since the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be revoked back to the urban speed limit of 30mph.
The work is expected to be completed and the 40mph TRO revoked later this summer. Until that is done, the limit remains at 40mph.