Maid Marian Way improvements - Transport Nottingham

Latest updates

Works are progressing well on Maid Marian Way and the end is in sight for works on the highway – thank you for your continued patience.

The junction is now configured with permanent signals which went live on 14 June and are working well at keeping the traffic moving through the area.

In addition to the resurfacing works, the Thomas Bow team are doing the last jobs on the project – swales (which manage rainwater runoff) and the new rain garden as well as putting the finishing touches on the paving, benches and kerbs.

While the highways element of the project is almost complete, teams will need to return this winter to plant more than forty new trees (trees need to be planted during their dormant season) – and the area will also see the installation of a new piece of public artwork over winter 25/26.

Overnight resurfacing works

The final part of the works on the road are the surfacing and lining of the carriageways. The majority of these have now taken place between July and mid-August, but the emergency Severn Trent Water closure of Upper Parliament Street has impacted on our plans to resurface Mount Street so we will return to carry out this resurfacing on 27 and 28 August (overnight from 1opm – 6am).

A letter was being sent to local businesses and residents Stakeholder Letter
Our updated resurfacing plan can be found here.

Plan for new public artwork

Once the highway works are complete during August 2025, the project will move into a new phase, with a new public artwork planned to be installed in the area later this year.

BACKLIT Gallery is working with Nottingham City Council and Its in Nottingham to develop a new artwork which is set to be themed around Maid Marian.

Tree planting

A variety of new mature trees will also be planted on site during the winter months, which is when trees are planted to give them the best chance of thriving in a new home. Watch this space – soon we’ll share more info about the trees and plants going in at the site.

Why are the changes being made?

Funding was secured from the central government ‘Future High Street Fund’ for a scheme that will improve connectivity within the city centre by changing the highway layout. The funding was awarded in order to deliver schemes that were intended to ‘renew and reshape the Nottingham high street in a way that improves experience, drives growth, and ensures future sustainability’.

The large roundabout where Maid Marian Way meets Derby Road and Lower Parliament Street is in the process of being completely transformed into a T-junction, creating an area safer for cycling and walking as well as improved public realm on an important gateway into the city.

The existing roundabout layout is challenging for pedestrians and cyclists, acting as a barrier to movement between the city centre, Derby Road and the theatre/Castle area to the west of Maid Marian Way.

Click to see the plan as a pdf

What will the changes mean?

The changes mean that:

The roundabout will be replaced with a traffic light-controlled ‘T’ junction which will incorporate pedestrian crossing points and improved cycle facilities
The junction of Mount Street and Maid Marian Way will be altered to make it simpler for pedestrians to cross the road
Traffic heading south from the western (Castle) side of Maid Marian Way currently has to turn left from Mount Street and ‘U’ turn at the roundabout. Once the project is complete, traffic will be able to turn right from Mount Street making the journey simpler and reducing vehicular miles and emissions
A new left turn will be opened on Park Row to allow traffic to head north onto Maid Marian Way for routes heading north and east

As part of the Maid Marian Way scheme, the area will also be improved by:

Large areas of planting in front of City Gate East, Byron House and Premier Inn. These area will contain more than forty new trees
A proposed new piece of public art – Nottingham City Council is working with the Nottingham based Backlit Gallery to invite proposals for an artwork on the theme of ‘Maid Marian’. The funding for the public art is from the same central government Future High Street Fund being used for the whole scheme
A rain garden, home to water-loving plants that will add colour and life as well as mitigating against increasing water surface flooding events

The Maid Marian Way project is funded by the Future High Streets Fund, a government funding stream which aims to support towns and cities to create renewed public areas, giving local people and visitors a better experience and ensuring future sustainability of high streets.

Did we consult on this project?

We carried out a consultation in winter 2022 on the proposed changes, receiving 400 responses. The comments received were reviewed and considered to take forward into the detailed design phase. During our consultation, only a quarter of drivers rated the current roundabout as good whereas the proposed T junction format was more popular. The current roundabout was also very unpopular with pedestrians, many of whom who felt unsafe using it.

When did construction works begin?

Construction works began on site in May 2024 and are expected to be completed during summer 2025.

Won’t this cause a lot of disruption?

Undeniably it’s a busy part of the city’s road network and a large and ambitious project, so there will be knock on impacts. Our teams will manage the works in stages, scheduling the most disruptive work for less busy times and always ensuring people can still get where they want. There will be delays as with any major infrastructure project.

We encourage everyone to check this website, or sign up to the weekly Transport Nottingham disruption email for the latest info.