The UK Government has opened the £61m Selly Oak relief road projec,t which is designed to reduce congestion in Birmingham’s Selly Oak region.

The project involves a new 2.5km road to the west of the A38 Bristol Road and Selly Oak shopping centre, as well as improvement works to the existing A38, including a reduction in carriageway width, a new bus interchange, bus priority measures and better provision for cyclists and pedestrians.

The Selly Oak relief road – to be known as Aston Webb Boulevard – is expected to reduce traffic from the existing A38 by half. It will also become the main route to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The project was built with a government contribution of more than £38m.