Widening work on ring road all set to start
THE redevelopment of Nottingham's ring road has moved a step closer after the city council committed £3.2 million to the project.
The Government has already given the £16.1 million scheme the go-ahead, but the council is waiting for the final sign-off from the Department for Transport, which is contributing £12.8 million.
On Tuesday, the council's executive board backed funding for the scheme. Work could start as early as April and finish in the summer of 2015.
In 2009, the Government had approved plans for a £44 million scheme but this has been watered down after the coalition said costs must be cut.
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Some of the main improvements planned include:
Widening the southbound carriageway of Middleton Boulevard from Crown Island, Wollaton, to the QMC.
Western Boulevard widened from two to three lanes in the clockwise direction in three sections: between Crown Island and Beechdale Road, between Beechdale Road and Aspley Lane, and from Aspley Lane to Nuthall Road.
Conversion of Aspley Lane roundabout into a traffic light junction.
Widening the roundabout at the Hucknall Road junction to provide extra lanes.
Road resurfacing in both directions of Western Boulevard between Wilkinson Street and Western Boulevard Spur.
There will also be numerous upgrades to pedestrian and cyclist crossings.
One of the main changes that will not now happen is the widening of Basford bridge.
The ring road is used by up to 48,000 vehicles a day and it is hoped the improvements will cut congestion at bottlenecks.
4 Comments
by dooglepip1
Monday, January 28 2013, 8:08AM
“fantastic news along with the A453 widening this city of ours might just get moving”
by Trentend1967
Sunday, January 27 2013, 1:01AM
“It ll move the congestion on a bit further at which point the queue will be longer.
For a city of its size Nottingham has a very poor road system but then again the politically correct council has never lobbied strongly for major road improvements and thus others have overtaken us in investment.
It even held up progress on the A453 deathtrap by wasting time by calling for public transport alternatives.”
by ncclols
Saturday, January 26 2013, 9:52AM
“Still failing to learn the lessons from 20 years ago. Widening the ring road is pointless, give it two years and it'll be solid again. Complete waste of money.”
by scheinwerfer
Saturday, January 26 2013, 9:24AM
“They should wait until the the tram works fiasco has finished first, it's not as though the ring road changes will make much difference with all the extra badly timed traffic signals and raised crossings and "re-radiused bends" (pinch points). I also worry about how many mature lime trees and oak trees will be destroyed as we have already seen with the tram works. Nottingham could have it's boulevard look destroyed forever.”