Masshouse Circus comes down

Work has begun to demolish Masshouse Circus, the concrete flyover on Birmingham's inner ring road that has cut off the east of the city centre for around 40 years.

Demolition started in March, in a moment many are calling the breaking of the "concrete collar" that has hemmed in the city centre since the 1960s.

An ugly monstrosity

Clare Short, the International Development Secretary and MP for Ladywood, was among those who watched as work began. She described the flyover as an "ugly monstrosity" that had shamed the city, and welcomed its removal.

Masshouse Circus was built as part of the inner ring road, the Queensway, which was designed in the 1950s and 1960s to carry traffic around the city centre. At the time it was seen as modern and forward-thinking, but over the years the ring road came to be seen as a barrier, cutting the centre off from the surrounding areas.

The flyover at Masshouse, with its dark subways and concrete ramps, was one of the least loved parts of the ring road. It separated the city centre from the area now known as Eastside, and made it hard for pedestrians to walk between the two.

A new gateway

The demolition will allow a new road layout at ground level, with pedestrian crossings and new public spaces. It will also free up land for development, which the city council hopes will create a new gateway into Eastside.

The work is being carried out by Birse Civils, in a contract worth £24.2 million, and has been designed by Gifford and Partners. More than £9 million of the cost is coming from the European Regional Development Fund.

Eastside plans

The demolition is the first major step in the regeneration of Eastside, a large area of former industrial land to the east of the city centre. A masterplan for the area was drawn up earlier this year, and sets out plans for new homes, offices, education and leisure facilities.

Millennium Point, the new science and technology centre that is home to the Thinktank museum, is already open in Eastside. The council hopes that more investment will follow now that the area is better connected to the city centre.

There is also talk of a new central library in Eastside, which would be a major new landmark for the city.

Disruption ahead

Drivers have been warned to expect delays while the work is carried out, with some roads closed or diverted. The council says it will keep disruption to a minimum and that the long-term benefits will be worth it.

The demolition is part of a wider effort to make the city centre easier to walk around, after decades in which the car came first.

For many people who have struggled through the subways at Masshouse over the years, the sight of the bulldozers moving in is long overdue.