A closure of Rufford Ford will come into place today to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
The location is popular on YouTube and TikTok with some users getting thousands of views by filming vehicles attempting to cross the ford with various levels of success.
Nottinghamshire County Council has been working closely with Via East Midlands and Nottinghamshire Police to look at measures to improve safety in the area and the closure will remain in place while a longer-term solution is developed.
The closure comes in response to an increase in incidents in the area.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said:
“Road safety remains a high priority for the county council, and it is because of this that we, along with our partners, will be putting this closure in place immediately.
“We know that Rufford Ford has become popular with locals and those from further afield, but we cannot stress enough that dangerous driving in this area cannot continue because it puts the safety of motorists and pedestrians at risk.
“Work with our multi-agency partners has been ongoing for some time to discuss safety measures at Rufford Ford and a feasibility study for traffic calming measures has been carried out.
“There is already a significant amount of road safety signage around the ford which has been in place for some time to keep all road users safe, however due to the increase in incidents at Rufford Ford, we feel that the safest solution is to put a temporary Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) in place while longer-term solutions can be developed further.
“The closure has been put in place with immediate effect and will be in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the foreseeable future.”
Inspector Matthew Ward, District Commander for Newark and Sherwood, said: “It is with regret that as a result of consultation between Nottinghamshire Police, Via East Midlands and Nottinghamshire County Council, a closure of Rufford Ford to all vehicle traffic will immediately come into effect on the grounds of safety.
“We appreciate that Rufford Ford is an integral part of the Estate, however increasingly dangerous and irresponsible driving seen at the location which is putting vehicle occupants and viewing public at significant danger.
“This decision has been made to safeguard and prevent harm to both highway users and pedestrians.”
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