Progress on the Gedling Access Road is continuing at pace despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and is set to be opened in spring 2022. Once complete, the new 3.8km route will reduce congestion through Gedling village for motorists and local residents and will enable the sustainable redevelopment of the former Gedling Colliery/Chase Farm site, which includes the construction of 1,050 new homes.

Since construction began in January 2020, teams have been busy with excavation works, surfacing, roundabout construction, habitat enhancement for local wildlife and drainage works. The new route was initially programmed to take 18 months to complete but is now set to open in spring 2022. This revised timescale is due to the various knock-on effects caused largely by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Councillor Ben Bradley MP, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Gedling Access Road is a major investment for Nottinghamshire and we are proud that we have made a significant amount of progress on the project despite the challenges we have faced. “Back in March 2020 we could have halted works, as was the case with many other projects at the time. If we’d done that, the Gedling Access Road would have been many more months behind schedule, but we chose to press on, and that was the right choice.

“In the circumstances, just an extra few months on a project that’s been in the pipeline for several decades, delivered during a global pandemic, is a pretty good effort in my view and I am very proud that we are the ones delivering this for people in Gedling. The road will make a huge difference to motorists who will notice faster journey times, and local residents, who will benefit from less congestion through Gedling Village and for the further investment it will unlock in the area.

“I want to thank local residents for their patience and understanding about the project. We are really looking forward to completing the scheme soon, and delivering its benefits for local people and Nottinghamshire as a whole.”