Highways Agency

A453 Widening (M1 Junction 24 to A52 Nottingham)

Proposals to improve A453, Nottinghamshire to go on display

The Highways Agency held public exhibitions during September to show preliminary proposals of how the A453 could be widened to help reduce congestion and accidents along the 12 km stretch.

These exhibitions provided an opportunity for the public to see the proposals and to discuss them with Highways Agency representatives. More than 14,000 leaflets were distributed inviting local residents to the exhibitions and posters were put up around Kegworth, Clifton and other communities along this section of the A453.

The exhibition displayed background information about the project, which is reproduced here.

Background

• The A453 east of the M1 is a major route between Nottingham, the M1 and Nottingham East Midlands Airport. The existing road cannot cope with the amount of traffic using it, has a poor safety record and poses maintenance difficulties.
• Various scheme options were put forward for consultation from 1985 onwards and by the mid 1990s detailed improvement proposals for both the rural and urban sections of the route had been developed and debated at Public Inquiry. However, the scheme was reassessed as part of the Government's Roads Review in 1997. This resulted in the 1998 Transport White Paper announcement that it should be subject to further study to ensure that solutions to the route's congestion and safety problems would be developed in a manner consistent with the Government's integrated transport policy.
• In 2000 a Multi-Modal Study was therefore initiated to develop a long-term strategy for the total transport needs of the A453 corridor until the year 2021, taking into account buses, rail, trams, walking and cycling.
• The Study reported in August 2002 and, as part of its recommended transport strategy, proposed a number of highway improvement schemes. They included the dualling of the rural section of the A453 from M1 Junction 24 to Clifton and the widening of the carriageway through Clifton to a single four-lane carriageway.
• The Multi-Modal Study recommendation of an on-line improvement of the A453 was endorsed by the Regional Planning Body and now forms part of the Regional Transport Strategy. The Secretary of State for Transport has given his endorsement to the scheme by including it in the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements (now known as Programme of Major Schemes) on 18 May 2004.

Congestion

The existing single carriageway road between M1 Junction 24 and Clifton has become increasingly congested. Long delays can build up unexpectedly at any time. The existing annual average daily traffic flow on the A453 is currently about 25,000 vehicles on the rural section increasing to about 32,000 through Clifton mainly as a result of local traffic movements in the urban area. The design standard for a single carriageway is 15,000 vehicles per day.

Accident record

The A453 has a poor safety record, with a higher accident level than the national average.

Rural Section (M1 J24 to Clifton - Crusader Roundabout)
Accident records indicate 101 personal injury accidents between 1998 and 2003 resulting in 38 serious personal injuries including 8 fatalities.
Urban Section (Through Clifton)
Accident records indicate 69 personal injury accidents between 1998 and 2003 resulting in 16 serious personal injuries including 1 fatality.

The proposed scheme

• The preferred scheme includes widening the A453 to dual two lane carriageway between M1 Junction 24 and the Crusader Roundabout on the approach to Clifton, and to four lane single carriageway from the Crusader Roundabout through Clifton to Farnborough Road Junction.
• The Highways Agency will progress the improvements using Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) to design and build the scheme.
• The scheme is estimated to cost £90m and has been added to the Government's Targeted Programme of Improvements. Subject to completion of statutory processes, work could begin in 2008/9.
• There are separate proposals, not included in this scheme, for the improvement of M1 Junction 24 as part of the M1 widening works.

M1 to Clifton

This rural section of the route generally sits in an open arable landscape with long distance views to and from the road. A second carriageway would be constructed mainly on the south side of the existing road. Bridges would cross the A453 at Long Lane, Soar Lane, and at new junctions with local roads. Manor Road and Barton Lane would be joined by a new link, and the existing junctions with the A453 would be closed.

The widened road would only be lit at the junctions, which would help to reduce its prominence at night. We would need to remove some existing trees and hedges alongside the scheme, but wherever possible screen planting would be retained and some additional environmental mitigation provided. The national speed limit would apply to this section of the road.The Nottingham Express Transit (NET) Park & Ride proposal is promoted jointly by Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council.

Ratcliffe on Soar Junction

• New A453 junction including links to the power station and Kegworth Road
• A new A453 bridge with slip roads
• Provision can be made to allow access to the proposed Midland Mainline Parkway Station
• Other layouts may be developed

Barton - Gotham Junction

• New Road/Barton Lane lowered to pass under the A453 via a new bridge
• New slip roads connecting the A453
• Other layouts may be developed

West Leake Road and Barton Lane Junction

• Junction improvement
• New slip roads connecting the A453
• New roundabout on West Leake Road
• Other layouts may be developed

Preliminary assessment of effects of proposed scheme from M1 to Clifton

CRITERIA	SUB CRITERIA	IMPACT OF PROPOSAL	COMMENTS
ENVIRONMENT	NOISE	Moderate increase at houses south of Crusader roundabout	Mitigation measures to reduce impacts would be provided where appropriate
	AIR QUALITY	Negligible changes
	LANDSCAPE	Slight adverse impact in relation to existing major road corridor. Likely to increase impact on the existing landscape	Dualling would increase the scale of the road. Landscaping and planting proposed to reduce impact
	ARCHAEOLOGICAL& HERITAGE	Slight adverse. The few areas with recorded remains not likely to be affected
	NATURE CONSERVATION	Some loss of hedgerows , woodland and flood meadow	New hedges would be planted, with trees on wide verges
	WATERENVIRONMENT	Neutral impact. Some River Soar flood plain would be required for dualling	Scheme design would include measures to protect water quality and flood plain
SAFETY	ACCIDENTS	Significant reduction in accidents	Estimated saving of 5 accidents per year. Cycling would also be safer due to dedicated facilities
ECONOMY	TRANSPORT ECONOMICS	Shorter journey times and reduced journey costs	The existing delays would be reduced
	JOURNEY TIMES	Journey times would be more reliable
ACCESSIBILITY	ACCESS TO THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM	Slight beneficial impact on access to transport services	The scheme would facilitate access to the Park and Ride proposals
	SEVERANCE	Slight beneficial impact	Pedestrian & cycle facilities improved. Grade-separation of junctions
INTEGRATION	LAND USE POLICY	Negligible impact on land use	Uses existing road corridor
WORKS	DISRUPTION DURING CONSTRUCTION	Slight to moderate disruption expected	Generally two way traffic flows would be maintained during construction

The A453 through Clifton

This urban section of the route runs close to residential property, the University and recreational open space. We would need to remove some existing trees and hedges alongside the scheme, but wherever possible screen planting would be retained and some additional environmental mitigation such as noise barriers would be considered.

The widening would generally follow the line and level of the existing road, aiming to fit into the available space with the minimum of disturbance to existing features. A speed limit of 40mph would be retained.

The A453 would be widened to a single four lane road with pedestrian refuges and splitter islands on the approaches to the junctions and crossings. Signal-controlled crossing facilities would be provided for pedestrians/cyclists and options for footbridges would be considered. Bus layby, cycle track and footway details are still to be determined.

The designs of the three main junctions at Crusader Roundabout, Green Lane, and Farnborough Road/Fabis Drive will be developed further. Some form of traffic signal-controlled roundabout is most likely at each location.

The proposals seek to rearrange and reduce the number of minor junctions and to prohibit right turns and conflicting movements with the A453 side-road traffic.

Preliminary assessment of effects of proposed scheme through Clifton

CRITERIA	SUB CRITERIA	IMPACT OF PROPOSAL	COMMENTS
ENVIRONMENT	NOISE	Slight adverse	Mitigation measures to reduce impact would be provided where appropriate
	AIR QUALITY	Slight adverse	Traffic would be closer to some properties
	LANDSCAPE	Localised impact at the main junctions	Landscaping and planting proposed to reduce impact
	ARCHAEOLOGICAL& HERITAGE	Slight Adverse at Clifton Green	Few remains likely to be affected. Local impact from land take at Green Lane
	NATURE CONSERVATION	Localised loss of roadside trees and hedge	New hedge and trees would be planted where possible
	WATER ENVIRONMENT	No significant water features affected	Area largely urbanised
SAFETY	ACCIDENTS	Significant reduction in accidents	Estimated saving of 6 accidents per year
ECONOMY	TRANSPORT ECONOMICS	Benefit from reduced congestion	Widened A453 could carry more traffic. Existing delays would be reduced
	JOURNEY TIMES	Journey times would be more reliable
ACCESSIBILITY	ACCESS TO THE TRANSPORT SYSTEM	Slightly beneficial	Revised bus laybys and pedestrian crossings would maintain the existing levels of access. Scheme would provide improved access to proposed Parkway Station
	SEVERANCE	Slightly beneficial	Existing number of crossings would be maintained and facilities enhanced
INTEGRATION	LAND USE POLICY	Negligible impact
WORKS	DISRUPTION DURING CONSTRUCTION	Overall impact could be moderate to severe	Generally two way traffic flows would be maintained during construction.

Peak hour traffic flow 2000 and predicted 2021

Traffic figures are based on the A453 Multi Modal Study Transport Model Forecast. The model included other recommended transport schemes: NET Clifton, Bus Services & Quality Improvements, Park & Ride at Clifton and Parkway Station and City Centre Traffic Management.

The "Do Minimum" forecast excludes all transport measures that are not already confirmed.

FORECAST ACCIDENT SAVINGS

• A453 M1 to Clifton - Approximately 5 per year
• A453 through Clifton - Approximately 6 per year