Plan to upgrade six key Nottinghamshire junctions takes major step forward

Major improvements will be made along the A614.

The major route goes from East Bridgford, in the south of the county, to near Worksop, where it joins the A1.

The majority of the funding is set to come from the Government, with around £4 million in top-up funding coming from Nottinghamshire County Council.

Exact details for how each junction will work are yet to be finalised, but the outline business case has now been submitted to the Government, and council bosses are expecting approval once a few more ‘hoops are jumped through’.

It is expected detailed planning permission will be approved early this year, but an estimated completion date is yet to be confirmed.

Among the upgrades will be the White Post roundabout – the A614 / Mansfield Road roundabout, and the Ollerton roundabout.

Councillors have welcomed the development, saying it is ‘long overdue’ and would ‘make a huge difference’.

Councillor John Cottee, chairman of the committee that took the decision, said: “I think it’s been about two years that we’ve been on the case with it, since the funding was announced by Midlands Engine, and I know officers have been jumping through hoops to keep pushing forward.”

It is hoped the improvements will help cut down the large tailbacks seen at peak times, as well as the ‘rat running’ through villages nearby the route.

Councillor Kevin Greaves, who represents Worksop South for Labour, said: “These are long awaited improvements, especially at Ollerton Roundabout, which creates massive tailbacks.

“But a word of caution, because when the Rose Cottage T-junction was installed, that created another tailback along this road, and also created rat-running through Edwinstowe, and quite a bit of it through the main village centre.

“I can see the improvement with the Ollerton roundabout will be very welcome, because that is horrendous, and is long overdue of being done.”

Nottinghamshire council officer Kevin Sharman, who is working on the scheme, said: “We look forward to continuing negotiations and getting this over the line once and for all.”