The next phase in our work to expand the West Midland’s tram network officially got underway today (Tuesday September 5) when one of Birmingham’s most iconic statues – Iron: Man – was lifted out of Victoria Square.
Mayor for the West Midlands, Andy Street, and Councillor John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, joined onlookers as two cranes slowly raised the six tonne metal sculpture out of the ground.
The removal of Iron: Man, created by renowned artist Antony Gormley, marked the start our work on the new £149 million Westside tram extension.
This will take Midland Metro trams from New Street Station, through Victoria Square and a redeveloped Paradise Circus, past Centenary Square, along Broad Street and through Five Ways before stopping in Hagley Road, Edgbaston.
This project is part of a 10-year expansion of the tram network, owned by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), and includes new routes through Birmingham, Solihull, Wolverhampton, Dudley and Sandwell.
Iron: Man, which was erected in 1993 but is now standing in the direct path of the extension, will be given a clean up by conservation specialists and put into storage by Birmingham Museums Trust. He is scheduled to return to Victoria Square late next year.