A major road through Nottinghamshire is having to close for cleaning on three separate occasions this week due to littering blighting the area.
Driver are being warned that stretches of the A1 in the district of Newark and Sherwood will close overnight between Tuesday, April 18, and Thursday, April 20.
There will be scheduled lane closures as teams of Newark and Sherwood District Council staff work through the nights to tackle littering on the road.
A spokesperson for the council said incidents of littering have unfortunately become an issue as a result of people illegally disposing of rubbish out of vehicle windows, posing a danger to wildlife and making the area untidy.
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Matthew Finch, Director of Communities and Environment at Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “We are committed to making Newark and Sherwood cleaner, safer, and greener, and the littering along the A1 is an issue we are working to tackle. However, our officers’ safety is our priority, and the cleaning of these litter hotspots cannot be tackled as swiftly as other areas of the district, so I urge residents to be our eyes and ears for reporting and deterring litter louts.
“I also want to remind those who continue to selfishly and mindlessly throw their rubbish from their vehicle that their littering along roads not only harms our communities and the environment, but also requires our officers to undertake the potentially hazardous task of cleaning up after them.
“I’m pleased that we have worked with our partners from Amey to find a solution for this by utilising their scheduled lane closures to ensure our officers can complete the work more safely.”
The cleaning is being conducted during scheduled maintenance closures to reduce the health and safety risks for staff while they clear the rubbish away. Due to an increase in traffic levels, the council says previously used methods of cleaning the A1 are no longer suitable and as a result the District Council is working with Amey, who have the maintenance contract for the specified areas, to utilise their road closures to carry out the cleaning duties safely along the busy site.
The lane closures will take place as follows:
- April 18, 8pm-5am: A1 Lane 1 closure. Marker Post: 95/6 – 100/2 northbound and 103/1 – 98/9 southbound.
- April 19, 8pm-5am: A1 Lane 1 closure with Vicarage Lane slip closures. Marker Post: 103/8 – 107/8 northbound.
- April 20, 8pm-5am: A1 Lane 1 closure. Marker Post: 107/4 – 111/5 northbound.
The District Council’s Environmental Team also conducted litter clearance works over the weekend on the A46 section from Brownhills to the Cattle Market Roundabout Newark, during which half a tonne of waste was collected from the area.
Littering is illegal and anyone found doing so, whether from a vehicle or not, may face fines of up to £2,500 which can be imposed at court.
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