Latest Update
Our team will set up the construction compound for this project week commencing 29 April. The compound will be placed on the highway on Wellington Circus and fenced off. In order to maintain vehicle access around East Circus Street, Wellington Circus and North Circus Street, some parking will be temporarily suspended as shown below.
Works are expected to begin 7 May. Phase 1 traffic arrangements are shown below:
See a PDF plan of the Phase 1 Traffic arrangements.
For the first phase of works from 7 May the below traffic management will be in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
- The inner traffic lane of roundabout will be coned off
- The offside approach lanes will be coned off
- Maid Marian Way southbound offside lane will be coned off
- There are no changes to bus routes or bus stopping arrangements in this phase
- The pedestrian crossing points at the roundabout will be kept operational
- The pedestrian crossing point at Mount Street will be impacted, with pedestrians needing to use alternative crossings
Why are the changes being made?
Funding has been 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 will be completely transformed into a T-junction, creating an area safer for cycling and walking 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.
MMW plan final – click here to see the above 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 current green space in the middle of the roundabout will be removed and instead areas of planting will be introduced around the edges of the new junction creating a more attractive space to walk through. Trees will be planted to replace any which need to be removed during the works
- 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
- A rain garden will be added helping to manage rainwater in a sustainable way by using plants that enjoy waterlogged conditions in a low-lying area.
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 might construction works begin?
Construction works start on site in May 2024 and are expected to be completed in spring 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.
What will be the diversion plans or impact on traffic during the works?
Our teams are working on detailed traffic management plans which we’ll share ahead of works beginning in May.
