Pershore Road Highway Safety Improvement Scheme, Birmingham

Fitzgerald have successfully delivered a high-profile road safety improvement scheme by Birmingham City Council to undertake infrastructure works to improve the overall safety and efficiency of the A38 / A441 junction of Pershore Road, Priory Road and Edgbaston Road.

The scheme forms an integral link between the Birmingham Cycle Revolution route on the A38 Bristol Road and the National Cycle Network at Cannon Hill Park. Fitzgerald were appointed as principal contractor for the 33-week scheme which was delivered under the Black Country Minor Civil Engineering Works Framework Lot 3. Our scope of works involved the construction of crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists on all arms of the junction, widening the carriageway on Priory Road and Edgbaston Road, and the widening of the cycle feeder lane on the northbound Pershore Road approach to the junction. The scheme also included the provision of a new segregated two-way cycle track along Priory Road and Edgbaston Road, a controlled crossing for cyclists and improved traffic signing, road markings, provision of street lighting and landscaping along the route.

The project was undertaken in a highly trafficked live environment which is one of the largest uncontrolled junctions in Birmingham. The scheme had several key challenges including ensuring the safe movement of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. Fitzgerald’s in-house planning team carried out extensive preconstruction planning to overcome traffic management constraints and ensure safe crossing points during the construction phase, with extensive pedestrian and vehicular traffic management in place. This has included the use of green Chapter 8 pedestrian barriers for improved wayfinding and safety.

The team undertook extensive liaison and coordination of works with numerous stakeholders and Fitzgerald have played a pivotal role in regular meetings where we reviewed each parties’ needs, overcoming any clashes and formulating a forward construction programme that met each party’s requirements.

Social value has been an integral part of the scheme’s delivery and we set key objectives to provide employment and charitable opportunities within the local community. For example, we partnered with Sustrans, a charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle and promote a healthy lifestyle. We are proud that 90% of our workforce lived locally and the scheme welcomed two apprentices, a Quantity surveyor, Engineer and machine driver. The site team also got involved in charitable work locally by providing resources and materials for groundworks. Fitzgerald also gained recognition for our ongoing commitment to attaining exemplary health and safety standards at the Pershore Road scheme by winning a Merit grade in the 2022 British Safety Council International Safety Awards.