A major city flyover used by thousands of commuters every day could be demolished as Birmingham prepares for the Commonwealth Games.

City transport bosses are to look at pulling down the A34 Perry Barr flyover as part of the wider regeneration of Perry Barr.

They are also considering filling in the underpass and subways at the junction of Aston Lane and Birchfield by the end of 2021 in readiness for the Commonwealth Games the following summer.

It means months of disruption for commuters at a location which, when it flooded in 2014, brought the north Birmingham road network to a standstill for a full day.

Local councillor Jon Hunt (Lib Dem Perry Barr) said: "This is utterly daft and I do not believe it is necessary.

"It can only cause massive congestion on the A34. It's the sort of stupidity that will spoil a great occasion."

Birchfield flyover in Perry Barr
Birchfield flyover in Perry Barr

Plans, costs and options for the A34 are currently being looked at by council officials as part of the £525 million regeneration of Perry Barr including an athletes' village on the former Birmingham City University campus site.

It has already been suggested that the labyrinthine Perry Barr gyratory system would be broken up and part incorporated into the 1,400-home athletes village.

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And there have long been plans to route a rapid 'sprint' bus along the A34, as well as revamp the Birchfield island junction, upgrade the dingy subterranean rail station and redevelop the bus interchange outside the One Stop Shopping Centre.

Construction of a cycle superhighway is already under way and could be extended further along the A34.

Perry Barr station
Perry Barr station

But, tucked away in a report to the council's cabinet, it has now been revealed for the first time that both the flyover could be removed and underpass filled in - as long as the plans stack up.

A council spokesman said: "We are looking at a wide range of options for the centre of Perry Barr and the transport network and nothing will be decided until all those options have been thoroughly investigated."

Transport officers are now checking out traffic flows and assessing the impact of various works and schemes on the wider road network.

Underpass in Perry Barr
Underpass in Perry Barr

The following time scales are suggested:

A34 works and bus interchange - begin in July 2019 and finish in December 2021

Rail station upgrade - work to take place and finish during 2020

Sprint rapid bus route - construction begins in January 2020 and finished by December 2021.

Athletes' village

Earlier this month, outline plans for the athletes' village were unveiled at a consultation event with residents.

They indicated how the village would be laid out, both during the 2022 Commonwealth Games and after.

It will house 6,500 athletes, staff and officials during the Games and feature training facilities and a media centre. Athletes' facilities include the running track around the new park.

Sketch of the proposed athletes' village in Perry Barr for the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Sketch of the proposed athletes' village in Perry Barr for the 2022 Commonwealth Games

But after the Games, 1,400 apartments will be converted into homes and open spaces for Brummies.

Some homes will be sold while others will be available for rent by the council.

The Government has handed £158.5 million towards the costs of building the village.

Demolition work is already under way and a planning application for the homes is expected to be submitted next month.

Construction will begin in January and be finished in January 2022.

In the longer term, the council is planning further large scale house building in the Perry Barr area.