Highways Agency - Safe roads, Reliable journeys, Informed travellers

The Project

The A453 east of the M1 is a major route between Nottingham, the M1 and Nottingham East Midlands Airport. The existing single-carriageway road has become increasingly congested. It carries up to 30,000 vehicles a day, has a poor safety record and poses maintenance difficulties.

The proposed scheme will benefit everyone using the route between the M1 and Nottingham. It will improve safety, reduce congestion and make journeys more reliable for travellers and businesses in the region.

The scheme had an original approved budget of £90m. As recommended by the Nichols Review of the roads programme, the Highways Agency has adopted a new approach to costs forecasting The current cost estimate is a range from a minimum of £141m to a maximum of £194m. The current economic assessment for the A453 Widening scheme is based on a scheme forecast cost of £168m. At this cost the scheme still provides high value for money.

The inclusion of the scheme in the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements (now known as Programme of Major Schemes) on 18 May 2004 followed the Secretary of State's request to the Highways Agency in December 2002 to draw up improvement proposals based on the recommendations of the A453 (A52-M1 Junction 24) Multi-Modal Study.

A public exhibition of the preliminary proposals was held in Kegworth and Clifton on 16-18 September 2004. An Executive Summary of the exhibition report, as well as a full copy of the report in PDF format may be downloaded from the Publications page. You can also find out more about the original 2004 proposals by visiting the Scheme History page.

The Highways Agency appointed Laing O'Rourke Civil Engineering Limited on 6 March 2006 to develop the preliminary proposals in detail. In summer 2007 we held a public consultation on the changes we had made since 2004. You can visit the 2007 Proposals page to find out more. The consultation report in PDF format may be downloaded from the Publications page.

Recent Scheme Development

Draft Orders and an Environmental Statement for the scheme were published on 29 January 2009 and a public exhibition of the proposals was held in Kegworth and Clifton on 25, 27 and 28 February 2009. The Environmental Statement and the Non-Technical Summary may be downloaded from the Publications page. The Highways Agency invited comments on and objections to the draft Orders up to 30 April 2009 and received 28 objections, 48 representations and 27 statements of support during this period.

The Highways Agency published its Outline Statement of Case on 23 July 2009 summarising the principal submission in support of the Orders that was put forward at the Public Inquiry. A copy of this may be downloaded from the Publications page. The Pre-Inquiry Meeting was held on 14 September 2009. A copy of the formal notice of the Pre-Inquiry Meeting may be downloaded from the Publications page. A copy of the formal Inquiry notice may be downloaded from the Publications page.

Seventeen alternative routes were put forward by objectors to the scheme. Copies of the Public Notices describing these and the Highways Agency Published Scheme can be viewed on the Alternative Routes page and the Publications page. To view copies of the Highways Agency's proofs of evidence, summary proofs and statement of case, visit the Persona website at www.persona.uk.com/a453.

In the light of the objections and comments received, the Secretary of State for Transport held a Public Local Inquiry into the proposals from Tuesday 10 November to Friday 20 November 2009 at Rutland Square Hotel, St James St, Nottingham.  A copy of the formal notice of intention to hold a Public Inquiry and Pre-Inquiry Meeting may be downloaded from the Publications page.

Following the close of the Public Inquiry, the Inspector will report to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.  They will consider his report, together with any objections and representations made, before making their decision on the future of the scheme.

Subject to completion of statutory processes and confirmation of the funding, construction works could start on site in winter 2010/11, with the road open to traffic in 2012/13. For further information on the A453 Multi-Modal Study or on the A453 widening scheme, e-mail A453Widening@highways.gsi.gov.uk.