Nottingham City Council has been awarded £2.825 million in government funding to improve road safety on two of the city’s most high-risk routes: the A60 (Mansfield Road) and the A6200 (Derby Road).
The funding, allocated under Phase 2 of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Safer Roads Fund, aims to reduce the number and severity of road traffic collisions, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.
The announcement comes as part of a broader national effort to enhance road safety across England, targeting roads with historically high collision rates. Nottingham’s A60 and A6200 have been identified as particularly dangerous, with data showing a significant number of fatalities and serious injuries over the past six years.
A60 Mansfield Road
The A60, a major arterial route running from Nottingham city centre northwards through Sherwood, Daybrook, and Arnold, has seen 281 road traffic collisions since January 2018. These incidents have resulted in one fatality, 41 serious injuries, and 239 slight injuries. Alarmingly, 28 of the serious injuries involved pedestrians or cyclists, highlighting the need for improved safety measures.
The proposed improvements for the A60 focus heavily on pedestrian safety, particularly in the busy Sherwood shopping area and city centre. Key measures include:
- Lowering the speed limit to 20mph in the Sherwood shopping area to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for pedestrians.
- Installing nine new pedestrian refuges and a dedicated signalised crossing in the Daybrook shopping area.
- Introducing raised plateaus at existing signalised crossings to slow traffic and improve pedestrian visibility.
- Narrowing lanes and adding central hatching to simplify traffic flow and reduce vehicle speeds.
- Providing pedestrian priority at side roads through continuous footway treatments, making it safer for people to cross side streets.
The A60 is a vital route for both vehicles and pedestrians, with high footfall due to its proximity to retail, hospitality, and leisure facilities. However, the road has long been a barrier for pedestrians trying to access these amenities, particularly in areas like Sherwood and Daybrook. The new measures aim to address this by creating safer crossing points and reducing vehicle speeds.
A6200 Derby Road:
The A6200, another key route into the city centre from the southwest, has also been identified as a high-risk road. Since January 2018, there have been 75 collisions on this stretch, resulting in two fatalities, 12 serious injuries, and 61 slight injuries. Eleven of the serious injuries involved pedestrians or cyclists, with head-on collisions between opposing traffic flows being a particular concern.
The proposed improvements for the A6200 include:
- Installing a dedicated signalised pedestrian crossing near the Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) entrance, following a pedestrian fatality in early 2024.
- Upgrading the busy junction of Gregory Street and Radmarsh Road with signalised Toucan crossings to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Reducing the speed limit along the route to improve safety for all road users.
The A6200 is a major route for both vehicles and pedestrians, with high levels of traffic due to its proximity to the QMC, Nottingham University campus, and several residential and commercial areas. The new measures aim to reduce the risk of collisions and improve connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists.
The £2.825 million grant is part of the DfT’s Safer Roads Fund, which aims to improve safety on some of the most high-risk roads in England. Nottingham City Council successfully secured £1.425 million in Phase 1 of the fund, which is being used to improve safety on the A609 (Ilkeston Road) and the A6130 (Gregory Boulevard, Radford Boulevard, and Lenton Boulevard). These schemes are currently in the design stage.
The Phase 2 funding will be used exclusively for the A60 and A6200 improvements, with design and construction expected to be carried out in-house by the council’s Highway Services team. The council has also agreed to work with Nottinghamshire County Council, which will receive a portion of the funding to deliver improvements on their section of the A60.
Stakeholders, including local residents, businesses, and bus operators, will be consulted to ensure the schemes meet the needs of the community. The final designs will also be subject to statutory consultations and Traffic Regulation Orders before any work begins.
Construction is expected to start in 2026, with the majority of the work completed by 2028. The council has also committed to submitting further applications for future rounds of Safer Roads funding, with the aim of continuing to improve road safety across the city.
Nottingham’s A60 and A6200 have long been identified as problematic routes due to their high traffic volumes and mixed-use environments. The A60, in particular, has been a focus of road safety campaigns for years, with local residents and councillors calling for measures to reduce speeding and improve pedestrian safety. The new funding represents a significant step forward in addressing these concerns.
The A6200, meanwhile, has seen several high-profile collisions in recent years, including the tragic death of a pedestrian near the QMC in early 2024. The proposed improvements aim to prevent similar incidents in the future, making the road safer for all users.
