Council planners have signed off on the designs for a new bridge to carry a local road over the HS2 line.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has approved an application for a 70 metre bridge which will replace the existing structure at Waste Lane on the edge of Balsall Common.

Plans show the three-span bridge will also eventually have a connection to the re-aligned Kenilworth Greenway.

The HS2 Act decrees the bridge will go ahead at some point, with the council only able to comment on certain design elements.

"The B4101 Waste Lane Overbridge forms part of a scheduled work and has been subject to a prolonged design refinement process to develop a high quality scheme that, as far as possible, integrates with the local context," the application said.

The location of the proposed works (image via planning application)

It added: "The overbridge is essential to ensure the traffic on B4101 Waste Lane can continue to flow. 

"It has been designed in line with the HS2 design vision which seeks to ensure bridges are designed to the highest standard according to the local context."

Plans show the three-span bridge will be nine metres wide and would see Waste Lane realigned to the north west.

New embankments will also need to be built, and will be around 82 metres long.

The bridge is expected to be built next to the site and then moved into place to minimise the length of any inevitable road closures.

A month-long road closure is coming to Waste Lane in March as preparatory works for the new bridge progress.

See the full plans here.