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Work continues on Solihull Council’s Lode Lane Enhancement Scheme, to establish a bus lane and shared use footway/cycleway from Dovehouse Lane to Warwick Road.
The Council would like to thank residents and motorists for their continued patience while these important infrastructure works are carried out.
 Two new sections of bus lane to open
All
work is now complete in Segment C and Segment D (which covers the area from Solihull Bypass to Warwick Road).
This means that from Friday 10 June two
sections of new bus lane on Lode Lane will open.
The two stretches of
bus lane, in the direction of Solihull town centre only (southbound), are
located between the canal bridge and the junction with Rowood Drive and between
the junction with Grove Road and Poplar Road.
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The bus lanes will be indicated by a thick white line on the road and will be in operation 24 hours a day. Other vehicles permitted to use the lane are licensed taxis, bicycles and motorcycles.
Signs will be in place along the route to advise drivers of the changes. Motorists found to be using the bus lane when not permitted face being issued with a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and are reminded that this can delay buses and cause congestion.
The final stretch of new bus lane on Lode Lane, between Moat Lane and Hermitage Road, is due to be opened following the completion of the second phase of the scheme in autumn 2016.
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Segment
B – Rowood Drive to Solihull Bypass
Recently a new kerbline from Boulton Road to Moat Lane has been installed, and work focussed on the area from Moat Lane to the park on Hermitage Road. BT are currently undertaking a utility diversion in this area
Work will now move to Severn Star Road where the existing junction will be upgraded to a toucan crossing.
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Segment A - Dovehouse Lane to Rowood Drive
 Canal bridge repairs
During recent waterproofing of the canal bridge on Lode Lane, a number
of structural defects were discovered. It is therefore necessary to carry out further repairs to the bridge. This work will begin in early July and involves
strengthening of the bridge from above as well as repair of a bridge beam from
below. It is expected that this work will take 8 weeks to complete. The bridge
does not pose a danger to the travelling public.
Due to the extent of the work area it will be necessary to close
one lane across the bridge. To keep traffic flowing, one lane will remain open
at all times and temporary 24-hour traffic lights will be in operation. Signage
will be installed prior to the works starting to inform drivers of the expected
delays throughout the work period.
This necessary and unavoidable repair work will lead to long
delays (expected to be as high as 20-30 minutes) and significant congestion
along Lode Lane, particularly during the morning and afternoon peak periods.
To ensure as
little disruption as possible is caused by these works, they have been scheduled to take place predominantly during the school
summer holidays and during Jaguar Lane Rover's shut down period. The Council’s contractor Balfour Beatty will be working double-shifts. This is to ensure the duration of
the works is kept to a minimum whilst still maintaining safe working practices,
and that any noisy activities are not carried out at night.
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This work was not originally scheduled to be carried out as part of the current scheme to enhance Lode Lane. However due to the necessity of the repairs and to avoid further inconvenience by returning at a future date; the work has been incorporated into the existing scheme.
Replacement of Trees
The Council is currently in the process of replacing trees which have needed to be removed along Lode Lane as part of this scheme. Wherever possible, these trees will be placed on or near to their previous locations.
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