Future plans for a fourth bridge over the River Trent to help with congestion in a Nottinghamshire village ‘can’t be ruled out’.
Nottinghamshire County Council leader Mick Barton (Ref) and East Midlands Mayor Claire Ward (Lab) were out in Lowdham on Thursday (October 8) to celebrate the works to improve the village’s main island.
Lowdham Roundabout is being widened, with improvements including the addition of a second circulatory lane on the roundabout and three approach lanes on the A612 Nottingham Road, as well as a 30mph speed limit on the approach. Work began at the site on 20 September.
It is one of five junctions included in the nearly £50 million A614/A6097 major road network scheme – a wider project aiming to improve traffic flow at key pinch points.
Paul Harrison, chair of Lowdham Parish Council, said in June that the work being done in the village would be “almost intolerable” and would lead cars and lorries to use Main Street, which “cannot cope”.
Responding to whether a fourth bridge over the River Trent is a possibility, Ms Ward said: “Ultimately we need to see all the details of the case and we haven’t had that discussion yet. Let’s focus on the things we’ve got in front of us, get this road and we’ll talk about what else is needed right across the region.
“I don’t think you can rule out any of these things out. This is a city and a county that’s growing; there are huge opportunities for more investment.
“We know already what’s going to be taking place in the sports district and that I suspect will grow when we’ve got more plans around that coming, so all these things we’ll look at, but I can’t say now.”
Cllr Barton added: “We’ve not got a crystal ball. We’d like to see all these things done, we’d like the A46 and the A38 done – we’re pushing on that for the money with the government trying to get that argument done.
“Don’t underestimate what we’re doing here, it’s costing just under £50 million and it’s going to go right through to Ollerton roundabout which will make a massive difference for businesses and residents moving forward.”
Responding to concerns that traffic flow may only be improved in certain directions by the works, Cllr Barton said it was “nonsense”.
He said: “It’s going to help in all directions. It’s also going to have traffic lights in and pedestrian crossings – they’re not in at the minute properly, so it’s going to help everybody – pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.
“[We] could be here [in Lowdham] for up to 12 months until we’re totally finished… I can’t wait for it to be finished.
“It’s been needed for decades.”
The leader said residents could be “pleasantly surprised” by the limited impact the works are having on nearby roads.
He said: “I travel this every day, to work and going home, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be so I think residents will be pleasantly surprised.
“There are some pinch points in the morning between 7am and 9am and at night between 4pm and 6pm, obviously at peak times – they are managing it really well.”
Ms Ward added: “We know these things are difficult but the outcome is definitely going to be better in the long run for people moving around this part of Nottinghamshire so we just ask people to bear with us and to bear with the teams.”
By Lauren Monaghan Local Democracy Reporter