A busy road from Smethwick into Birmingham is set to be turned into a controversial red route to relieve Hagley Road of tailbacks which can stretch for miles.

Hagley Road is one of the busiest commuter routes into Birmingham and the road is virtually at a standstill at rush hour.

Sandwell council leader Bill Thomas said the council was currently looking at making improvements to the old Smethwick bypass through Dudley Road via Winson Green to encourage it to be used as an alternative to Hagley Road.

It could become a red route, which means parking along the road would be banned.

Last week it was revealed a red route is also being considered along a stretch of the A4123 Birmingham New Road.

Sandwell Council bosses say congestion is one of the biggest issues facing the region and they are looking at way of trying to prevent long tailbacks.

Councillor Thomas said: “We want to develop this as a second major route into Birmingham. We really want to take the pressure off the Hagley Road as it is so congested. This could be a good route if we try and remove the pinch points where traffic gets snarled up.”

Dudley Road also goes past City Hospital and it is planned to realign the road when the site closes as part of a shake-up of services to meet the requirements of a possible new housing development. A new hospital is planned to open in Smethwick in 2010.

Councillor Thomas said the A41 Wolverhampton to Birmingham road also had problems with traffic which maybe could be alleviated with some thought.