West Bromwich

The town developed around Thomas Telford's Holyhead Road, later A41, during the latter part of the 19th century. By the mid 20th century traffic passing through the town had reached chronic levels. Things were not helped with the main road also being the main shopping street. In the early 1950s a traffic survey revealed half the traffic passing through the town had no business there so plans were drawn up for a series of relief roads.

Inner Loop - this was the first planned relief road which was proposed in the early 1950s and bypasses the High Street to the north. It would have followed Overend Street and Bratt Street then rejoin the A41 at Carters Green. This road was never built.

Southern Ring - this was another early proposal and takes a long curve well to the south of the central area. Most of this road was built with the exception of the northwest section. Brandon Way suddenly ends with a sharp bend at Greets Green Road to avoid some houses. The road was intended to plough through these houses and continue along along Claypit Lane. When plans for the Northern Loop, better known as The Expressway, were developed the Claypit Lane section of the Southern Ring may have been altered to take a more direct route to the roundabout at Carters Green although information on such a route is a little vague.

Northern Loop - an outer bypass for West Bromwich was proposed slightly later and it's possible plans for the M5 motorway may have been the catalyst as it provides a convenient eastern terminus for the road. This was opened as The Expressway on 7 May 1973.

Inner Ring - plans for the Inner Loop were abandoned in 1967 and replaced with the Inner Ring which forms a tight circle around the central shopping core. It was built as a mainly three lane one way system with traffic flowing in a clockwise direction. It remained in this state until the start of the 21st century when it was converted to two way traffic. At the same time the northwest section was made buses only and private vehicles were no longer able to complete a full lap. The ring road further contracted in 2011 when the northern section made way for the New Square shopping area. Around 70% of the former ring road is now accessible to private traffic.

All Saints Way - this provides a high quality northern access to the town.

Trinity Way - this was the final part of the early schemes to be completed and provides an eastern bypass of the town centre and was built as planned.

mid 20th century road schemes

Later developments

In the mid 1990s the Black Country Spine Road was built which forms an extension of The Expressway. This involved alterations to the roads around the clock tower which now sits at the side of the road rather than in an island.

In 2012 the underpass at the junction of The Expressway and All Saints Way opened. The junction was built 40 years earlier with provision for the underpass. In early 2014 the underpass was closed for several weeks due to defects with the road surface.

Routes

Route	To	Notes
M5	The NORTH WEST, (M6) London, (M1), Birmingham Airport, NEC, (M42)	London is reached via M1 & M6
M5	The SOUTH WEST, Worcester
A41	Handsworth, Birmingham
A41	Wolverhampton, Wednesbury, (M6 North)
A4031	Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, (A453)
A4041	Sutton Coldfield
A4252	Oldbury, Smethwick
B4149
B4166	Oldbury
A4035	Great Bridge
A4168	West Bromwich (M5)
A4181	West Bromwich