Efforts to deal with the knock-on effects of the Clifton Bridge closure are beginning to pay off, with better traffic flow and smoother running tram and bus services.
As Highways England continue to work to fix the A52 at Clifton Bridge, the City Council is taking steps to keep the rest of the city moving as congestion builds up on other roads around Nottingham.
As well as suspending all non-essential roadworks across the city, the council is continuing to work with Nottinghamshire Police every morning and evening rush hour to keep key junctions free to help trams and buses keep to their time-tables, restoring certainty about journey times for passengers. This appears to be encouraging more people to choose public transport as the best way to get in and around the city, with trams, buses and park and rides busier than ever.
Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “We’re pleased that Highways England have now managed to reopen one eastbound lane of the A52. But with Highways England advising us that this situation could be ongoing for at least another two weeks, we’re not out of the woods in terms of returning to normality.
“However, measures we have put in place seem to be easing the pressure on the road network. I would like to thank people for heeding warnings and following advice to use public transport. With help from Nottinghamshire Police, we are clearing junctions that were becoming clogged with traffic so buses and trams can get through. This obviously helps passengers, but as more people use public transport, this in turn helps motorists by placing fewer cars on the roads.”
Each bus and tram can remove as many as 75 and 200 cars respectively from the city’s roads – and some services that were initially seriously delayed in the congestion are now as little as ten minutes behind schedule or on time – with some even running better than usual.
The council will continue to use its network of traffic cameras to manage traffic flow and take action at hotspots such as changing traffic signal phasing. Traffic officers are advising motorists that the A52 westbound (heading from Gamston towards the QMC) is flowing well and can be used as a route through the city as normal – reiterating that this section of Clifton Bridge is not closed.
More information on travel during the A52 works, including Park & Ride sites and public transport options, is available at https://www.transportnottingham.com/roadworks/clifton-bridge/