After two years of construction and more than 50 years in the pipeline, the £49 million Colliery Way, formerly known as the Gedling Access Road, will officially open to traffic on Tuesday, March 22.
The road will link the A612 with Mapperley Plains and will improve journey times, reduce congestion through Gedling village and bring new homes, jobs and businesses to the area.
Works on the 3.8km of new road began in January 2020 and construction teams have since moved 512,000 cubic metres of earth, equivalent to 204 Olympic swimming pools, laid 45,816 tonnes of tarmac and installed 30 kilometres of drainage pipes and cable ducts.
Up to 53,000 new trees are being planted across the site, and ecological measures including seven badger tunnels, six amphibian crossings and seven bat hop-overs are being constructed.
The road is not been without controversy as the cost has soared. It had initially been said the road would be completed by autumn 2021, but delays due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as other logistical issues led to the date being pushed back.
As a result the cost rose steeply with an additional £8.6 million required which was blamed on the pandemic and the rising cost of raw materials by the county council.
Councillor Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “The Gedling Access Road has been in the pipeline for over 50 years.
"Colliery Way is much more than just a new road – it will provide access to new high-quality, affordable homes to help people get on the property ladder and will bring about journey time savings and other safety and efficiency benefits worth at least £73 million.
"Better links to Gedling Country Park thanks to the scheme will encourage more people to walk and cycle, the new link between two key road corridors will boost business in the area and increasing woodland in the area by 40% will improve habitats for wildlife and help green spaces to thrive."
Key funding for the project has come from Homes England £7.17 million; Nottinghamshire County Council £14.02 million; D2N2 £10.8 million and Keepmoat Homes £17 million.
Will Morlidge, interim chief executive officer at D2N2 LEP said: "It’s great to see Colliery Way ready to open to the public – high quality and reliable infrastructure is critical to giving businesses the confidence to invest in our area and therefore create further opportunities for the whole region to enjoy.
“Connectivity is the backbone of the D2N2 region, and we are proud to have invested £10.8 million into the road’s construction."
Councillor John Clarke MBE, Leader of Gedling Borough Council, said that the road would contribute to the ongoing housing development in the area.
He added: "This road will also be welcomed by the residents of Gedling village who will see a big reduction in through traffic, it will give them their village back, which is something we have been wanting to achieve for a long time.
"The name of the road also ensures that the rich heritage of the former colliery, upon which this road will be built on, is not forgotten and it’s a fantastic symbol of the regeneration of the area alongside the very popular Gedling Country Park."
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