Major city road to be ‘reduced in popularity’

One of Birmingham’s key routes to its leading entertainment destinations is set to face restrictions for up to four more years – and then it might be permanently shut down to motorists. After being closed in September 2018, Paradise Queensway has never been officially reopened but with more and more drivers seemingly using it we asked the city council if it really was open for motorists or not. A city council spokesperson told BirminghamLive the long term plan was to officially close the stretch between Broad Street and Cambridge Street for private motorists adding: “In the meantime we are trying to reduce the popularity of people returning to this junction until the full scheme can be built.”

The Paradise Circus tunnel alongside Birmingham Town Hall was fully closed on November 15, 2015, to facilitate the demolition of the Central Library and other neighbouring buildings above. Three years after the end of the roundabout, Paradise Queensway on the Broad Street side was closed almost five years ago on September 3, 2018 – the Library of Birmingham’s fifth birthday – pending construction of the West Midlands Metro Westside phase one extension[1]. The lower part of Broad Street, from Bridge Street to Paradise Queensway, has been permanently off limits to motorists since that date and access is via a ‘bus gate’ only.

Although Metro trams started running across the highway on December 11, 2019, to reach Broad Street, Paradise Queensway was never officially reopened. The road sits between the two halves of many of central Birmingham’s key visitor and nighttime attractions. But even Google Maps hasn’t been along Paradise Queensway between Cambridge Street and Broad Street for six years since March, 2017.

Dangerous junction? A coach turns off the ‘Road closed’ Suffolk Street Queensway just as a cyclist rides across the top of Holliday Street towards pedestrians on the pavement at the same time that two cars cirumvent the refuge in the centre of the top of Holliday Street en route to Paradise Queensway (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

Today, road signs do not make it crystal clear whether the public really can use Paradise Queensway. For example, motorists on Suffolk Street Queensway driving past the Mailbox on their left then meet a sign which says ‘Road closed’ 100 yards before they can reach it.

They drive into Holliday Street and U-turn sharply around a pedestrian refuge close to the Crowne Plaza entrance. Motorists then leave Holliday Street ready to continue up the hill towards Paradise Queensway. The road then takes them past lower Broad Street and Baskerville House towards Cambridge Street on the left and Summer Row further ahead.

Other motorists driving in the opposite direction from Summer Row towards Suffolk Street Queensway pass a rectangular blue ‘bus, taxi and cycle’ sign on the left – thanks to restrictions only one lane is open.

Signs next to the top of Holliday Street collect rubbish at their feet and say ‘Road Closed’ and ‘Diversion’. But motorists arriving from Suffolk Street Queensway take no notice by turning into Holliday Street ready to circumvent a pedestrian refuge en route to Paradise Queensway (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

The low volume of traffic overall might suggest that a majority of drivers perhaps aren’t quite sure whether Paradise Queensway is open or not and so don’t risk a potential fine.

But what traffic there is is consistent in both directions – perhaps indicating that some motorists follow others who think that the road is officially open. In May 2021, BirminghamLive revealed that the city council had decided in December 2018 to change the Paradise Queensway name to Lyon Queensway[3] after the twin city in France. We have still not been told when that change will actually be made with the necessary consequences for street signs and maps as well as internet services including Google Maps.

Local attractions

Major attractions on the Broad Street side of Paradise Queensway include the Library of Birmingham[4], Birmingham Rep[5], Symphony Hall[6], Broad Street[7] bars and restaurants, National Sea Life Centre[8], Legoland Discovery Centre[9] and the Utilita Arena[10].

On the city centre side is Birmingham Town Hall[11], Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery[12] (reopening next year) and Michelin-star rated restaurants including Opheem run by Aktar Islam[13], Purnell’s run by Glynn Purnell[14] and Adam Stokes’[15] Adams.

On Paradise Queensway towards lower Broad Street (left) a white arrow painted onto the road suggests there is a right turn. Signs further up say ‘No right turn’ and ‘No U-turn’ (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

What the council says

Following a BirminghamLive request about the future of Paradise Queensway, the city council has said that the road itself now faces further restrictions ‘for three to four years’.

It has not confirmed whether or not drivers currently using the road face the kind of ‘bus gate’ fines on the likes of Sheepcote Street and Moor Street Queensway. A Birmingham City Council[16] spokesperson said: “This area is extremely busy with the amount of redevelopment already ongoing, and still to come. Ever since the start of the construction of the original Paradise development works (January 2015), through the construction of the metro extension, the area has had some level of traffic restriction in place.

“The ultimate aim is to implement a public transport improvement that only permits buses, Hackney carriages and cycles between the Centenary Square/Broad Street junction and the Cambridge Street junction.

Last night saloon: The ‘ghost’ lights of a bus and car emerge from the Paradise Queensway tunnel underneath the Central Library at midnight on Friday, November 13, 2015 – hours before the road was closed for good (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

“Practically, it will have to be delivered in phases over the next three to four years as we currently have to maintain some movements through the junction for construction traffic and access to parts of the developments that become operational. “In the meantime, we are trying to reduce the popularity of people returning to this junction until the full scheme can be built. This is likely to include temporary full closure of some roads.”

View from Westside BID

Mike Olley, general manager for Westside BID said: “I don’t know if you are supposed to drive along Paradise Queensway or not, but if the council is going to close it in four years’ time, why not do it now?

I don’t know if the council is fulfilling its obligation to keep the transport network flowing, but in terms of this area, people do seem to find their own way through. “There are companies investing hundreds of millions of pounds in Birmingham city centre[17] which might well look at some of these long-term cones etc and wonder when they are ever going to see a brush sweep some of the detritus away because the amount of rubbish they collect is not a good look. “They must also wonder when we’ll have a fully integrated public transport network – the one that doesn’t exist yet.

Over the years, the West Midlands has been very good at manufacturing cars, but if the council really don’t want them in the city, they should tell us.”

Good place for zombies… the closed former Paradise Circus Queensway pictured on Sunday, November 15, 2015 (Image: Graham Young / BirminghamLive)

References

1. ^ West Midlands Metro Westside phase one extension (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ How two years of demolition changed the face of Paradise (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ change the Paradise Queensway name to Lyon Queensway (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ Library of Birmingham (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^ Birmingham Rep (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
6. ^ Symphony Hall (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
7. ^ Broad Street (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
8. ^ National Sea Life Centre (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
9. ^ Legoland Discovery Centre (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
10. ^ Utilita Arena (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
11. ^ Birmingham Town Hall (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
12. ^ Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
13. ^ Aktar Islam (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
14. ^ Glynn Purnell (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
15. ^ Adam Stokes’ (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
16. ^ Birmingham City Council (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
17. ^ Birmingham city centre (www.birminghammail.co.uk)