Birmingham's landmark Spitfire sculpture is to be dismantled and moved 100 yards - at a cost of £250,000.
The striking 62-tonne steel memorial to the greatest fighter plane of the Second World War is in the way of a road widening scheme.
Council leaders have approved plans to dismantle the 83ft high structure, which stands on a roundabout in Castle Bromwich at the junction of the A452 Chester Road and the Heartlands Spine Road.
It will be moved a short distance and re-sited at the side of the roundabout, close to Castle Vale housing estate.
The decision follows a council request to the Government for permission to carry out a £15 million restructuring of the Chester Road, which will involve roadwidening and major changes to the Spitfire roundabout.
Unveiled in November 2000, the Spitfire sculpture has been on its present site for a little under five years.
Designed by Tim Tolkein, grand-nephew of writer JRR Tolkein, at a cost of £150,000, the work of art was sited symbolically opposite the Jaguar plant where 12,000 spitfires were produced during the war.
Work on the road improvement scheme, running from the Baggot Arms to to Junction 5 of the M6, is unlikely to start until 2007.
Cabinet transportation member Len Gregory approved the Chester Road improvement project in an attempt to tackle traffic congestion, which the council fears is dissuading potential industrial investors.
A cabinet report warned: "A do-nothing option will not resolve the current queues and congestion and a major scheme is required to help cure these problems." A public consultation exercise involving more than 300 people raised only two objections from residents.
