B4160
B4160 | ||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||
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Redditch Ringway | ||||
From: | Other Road (SP045676) | |||
To: | Alvechurch Highway (SP044681) | |||
Distance: | 1.1 miles (1.8 km) | |||
Meets: | A4023, A441 | |||
Highway Authorities | ||||
Traditional Counties | ||||
Route outline (key) | ||||
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For the former B4160 in Wolverhampton, see B4160 (Wolverhampton).
The B4160 is a one-way ring road in the centre of Redditch, more commonly known as the Redditch Ringway.
Route
The B4160 starts as a 3-lane one-way street on a the terminal roundabout of the A4023 to the east of the town centre. Various accesses for the town centre and its car parks leave on either side of the road; through traffic is directed to stay in the middle lane throughout. The road continues on a loop around the town centre, passing under the Kingfisher Shopping Centre at one point. Near to the exit for Batchley (and the former A441), the third lane is dropped. The ringway terminates at a signalised junction on the A441 Alvechurch Highway.
History
A ring road around the town centre was planned from the outset when Redditch was designated a new town. The earliest known plan dates from 1967 and shows a dual carriageway heading north and west from the A4023 roundabout. The map only shows the eastern side of the ring road but it's possible to make out a roundabout on the northern side of the ring so it's fair to assume it would have had further roundabouts on the remaining section.
A year later in 1968 and all subsequent plans show the ringway as a one-way street. This is how the road was built with the exception that it was intended to start and finish on the A4023 roundabout; there are no plans that show it ending on the A441 Alvechurch Highway. It is not known why this change was made as Alvechurch Highway along with all the other Highways was to be fully grade separated. A traffic light controlled junction was not part of the original plans.
Exit List
- Access 1 (RH): Red Lion Street
- Access 2 (RH): Silver Street
- Access 3 (LH): Car Park 3 only
- Access 4 (RH): Clarke Street
- Access 5 (LH): Izod Street
- Access 6 (RH): Vine Street
- Access 7 (RH): Adelaide Street
- Access 8 (RH): Fish Hill