Nottingham City Council and MP for Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood, have sought assurances from Highways England that everything is being done to complete the A52 Clifton Bridge work as quickly as possible.
Highways England discovered last week that water damage had corroded steel works underneath the bridge and closed the A52 eastbound for safety reasons. This has inevitably caused major traffic problems, not just in the local area but across the city.
Nottingham South MP Lilian Greenwood, who is a member of the Transport Select Committee in Parliament, said: “The A52 is a major route through the city and vital to its road network. The closure is having a huge impact on people’s ability to get around the city, particularly during rush hour and residents are understandably frustrated when journeys that normally take minutes are taking hours. They need to know that Highways England are doing everything possible to undertake the repairs needed as soon as possible.”
Councillor Adele Williams, the City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, said: “Highways England have assured us that they are prioritising work on the bridge as a matter of urgency and are pulling in additional resources from elsewhere to ensure the work is carried out as quickly as possible. Confirmation that one lane on the A52 Eastbound is to reopen on Wednesday will hopefully help to ease some of the traffic congestion.
“On the Council’s part, we will continue to work with Notts Police to keep traffic flowing as much as possible around the city, particularly at key intersections to avoid trams and buses being blocked.”
People are being advised to leave extra time for their journey and to use public transport if possible.
Steps being taken to ensure buses and trams public transport can keep moving during rush hour include closing the right turn from Sheriffs Way into Crocus Street except for buses. Motorists will need to stay on the Southern Relief Route / London Road. Also, a restriction on through traffic entering Meadows Way West will be trialled from the junction of Queens Drive / Robin Hood Way except for buses, trams and access for local residents. The measures will be kept under review.