Selly Oak New Road - Bournbrook stuff

Phase 2 has got its own website, mysteriously full of watercolour paintings of dual carriageways, and a map that's far too small to be useful.

They have got some progress pictures, though, and some brief information about what's going on. I was interested in the mysterious crane action in Bournbrook Road - they are apparently realigning the river, extending the bridge and culverting (enclosing) part of the river.

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It means Bournbrook Road is shut (until Feb 2011!), but it doesn't seem to stop people optimistically driving past the Road Closed signs and frowning at the inability to get on the Bristol Road.

Supermarket slight relocations

Looks like the Selly Oak New Road Phase II has a theme: relocating supermarkets by approximately 20 yards.

Not only are Sainser's planning to rebuild themselves on Battery Park, just across the road from their existing store, but Tesco Metro on Bristol Road has relocated ... approximately 20 yards. The new one is due to open today; will you miss the old one?

Spot the difference:

Selly Oak New Road demolition

demolition in advance of a new road
Originally uploaded by Nikki Pugh

They're starting to pull down the rest of the buildings just south of the University campus on Grange Road / Dale Road - including the old gun factory.

The pic on the right is of the buildings opposite - I love the clock tower in the distance partially obscured by rubble smoke. As for the gun factory itself, new_folder has a great picture of the demolition in progress.

It would be nice if developers officially gave people the chance to look around sites and take pictures before they are squished by big yellow machines. They could invite, say, local Flickr groups and/or local historians to preserve some images before everything's a big pile of rubble destined to live under a tarmac road.