A series of public exhibitions showcasing a £14 million project that will revolutionise bus travel in Birmingham city centre are being staged over the coming weeks.

The Birmingham City Centre Interchange scheme will deliver a major upgrade to bus passenger facilities, including an overhaul of bus routes and stops.

The work will see the introduction this summer of six bus interchanges around the city centre and paves the way for when the Midland Metro tram extension from Snow Hill to New Street station opens in 2015.

All bus services will be permanently removed from Corporation Street from the junction of Bull Street to Stephenson Street by the end of the summer.

Commissioned by transport authority Centro and Birmingham City Council, the scheme will also involve upgrading pedestrian crossing facilities and signage and the installation of cycle lanes.

The city’s streets will get newly designed shelters, bus totems and other passenger facilities including easy-to-follow information to encourage public transport and walking journeys.

The exhibitions take place on the following dates:

• Tuesday, January 24, Victoria Square, 9am – 3pm.

• Saturday, January 28, Markets, Edgbaston Street, 9am - 3pm

• Thursday, February 2, Victoria Square, 9am – 3pm

• Saturday, February 25, Markets, Edgbaston Street, 9am – 3pm                    

Centro chairman Cllr Angus Adams said: “These are significant changes to how buses come in and out of the city centre and the exhibitions are designed to give passengers an oversight of the work being carried out.

“The project is one of a number of major building schemes that will transform transport in the city, including the Metro tram extension, the rebuilding of New Street Station, the runway extension at Birmingham Airport and the high speed rail link.”

To find out what is happening to your bus stopping point in the city centre during the works, log on to www.centro.org.uk/connectedcity/maps.swf