Buses, bikes and electric vehicles will get priority along one of Nottingham’s busiest routes, as it is turned into the new Eco Expressway.
The six-mile route will run between the city centre and Vale Road in Colwick, via Manvers Street and Daleside Road. Work starts on October 3 2016 and will be delivered in phases. The first phase extending from Manvers Street/ Sneinton Hermitage junction to the junction of Daleside Road/ Trent Lane will be delivered by March 2017.
The works will see a new cycle route and a road lane for electric vehicles and buses. In the new year a new fleet of all-electric Park & Ride buses will use this route from Colwick into the city. The Eco Expressway will encourage more people to travel sustainably around Nottingham, with the route funded through the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, who are providing £6.1m for the bus priority measures and have also funded the Nottingham Cycle City Ambition Programme. The Eastern Cycle Corridor will be delivered at the same time and together they will provide high capacity, high frequency east-west low emission transport options.
The proposed Eco Expressway will create sections of new bus lanes in both directions to improve journey times, new and improved bus stops and pedestrian crossings. The Eastern Cycle Corridor will provide a two-way Cycle Superhighway on the north side of the road, segregated from traffic and pedestrians. The existing shared path from the Racecourse to Vale Road we will be resurfaced and cyclists will also have priority at side roads.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “The Eco Expressway is an exciting new development that grows our commitment to low-emission transport further. It will provide quicker and cleaner travel and help to improve the city’s air quality. The new cycle route will include another cycle superhighway for rapid and safe cycling and the new all-electric buses are an exciting step forward towards sustainable transport in the city.”
Go to transport.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ecoexpressway to find out more.