M1 to Nottingham Road Revamp

The first turf has been cut in the start of a major road re-widening scheme between the M1 and Nottingham.

Campaigners have been trying to get the A453 between Junction 24 and the city's ring road, a notorious congestion trouble-spot, turned into a dual carriageway since the 1980s.

Here reporter Michael Sibbert joins the Highways Agency CEO Graham Dalton.

• Politics
• Nottinghamshire
• council

The first turf has been cut in the start of a major road re-widening scheme between the M1 and Nottingham.

Campaigners have been trying to get the A453 turned into a dual carriageway between Junction 24 of the M1 and Nottingham's ring road since the 1980's.

• Politics
• Nottinghamshire
• council

Work will officially start today on improving the A453 in the East Midlands.

Seven miles of road between Junction 24 of the M1 and the Nottingham Ring Road will be widened in the £150 million project, which will take two years to complete.

• UK
• Nottinghamshire
• council

More than £20 million pounds of improvements to one of Nottinghamshire's main A roads will begin this month.

Nottinghamshire County Council say roadworks to turn the A453 into a dual carriageway will not cause major traffic delays.

The scheme is expected to be completed in late 2014. Work had originally not been due to begin until after 2015, the road currently has some of the worst traffic congestion in the county.

Nottinghamshire County Council says the scheme will be a major boost to the local economy and estimate that its improvement would bring £540 million to the economy.

The cost of the scheme is estimated to be between of £141m and £194m, with Nottinghamshire County Council contributing £20m and Rushcliffe Borough Council £500,000.

The road is regarded as a congestion and accident blackspot, but it's hoped the scheme will deal with these problems.

• Politics
• Nottinghamshire
• council