By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Roadworks causing delays near a Nottinghamshire college are to continue until mid-November.
Nottinghamshire County Council has revealed the timeline after the works, at West Nottinghamshire College’s Derby Road campus, began in August and caused major disruption.
Traffic has been impacted by the work, which launched as plans for new pedestrian and cycle paths alongside road resurfacing, traffic resignalling and crossing improvements.
The overall package of work is due to last for 46 weeks between August 2023 and July 1, 2024.
It’s being led by the Conservative-run authority and its road contractor Via East Midlands after Government active travel funding was secured.
This will allow the new cycle and footpath to be built outside the busy college campus, which reopened to students this week.
Now council bosses have confirmed the existing traffic disruption – fuelled by three-way temporary traffic lights – will last for another two months.
These roadworks are improving traffic signals and the pedestrian crossings at the Derby Road and Nottingham Road junction.
However, they will then end in mid-November and will bring improved traffic lights on the two busy routes.
It comes as part of what Cllr Ben Bradley (Con), the council’s leader and Mansfield’s MP, says is a “wider highways improvement”.
Cauldwell Road, based nearby on the other side of the campus, is currently closed to motorists and will reopen on October 15.
The roadworks at the Derby Road and Nottingham Road junction are listed to run until November 17.
Cllr Bradley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s being done in phases and I recognise the signage isn’t clear.
“The major disruption of the lights will not last 46 weeks, it will only be for a handful of weeks.
“The rest of it will be much easier and I’ve asked Via East Midlands to make this clearer in its communications.
“We have been talking to the college throughout about the nature of the work.”
He added: “It’s worth saying this is a very big investment in road improvements on Derby Road, which is probably one of the most complained about roads in my constituency.
“We are resurfacing the road, adding road safety improvements, crossings, improvements to the junction signals and a cycle path.
“Without [the cycle path], we couldn’t fund the road improvement works.
“This is a big, wider highways improvement project – it’s not just a cycle path.”
A council spokesperson also said motorists “should see significant improvement” on existing delays once the traffic light works are complete.
“We can understand the frustration of road users in the area with delays, however, it’s not possible to deliver a major project of this scale at this location without causing some disruption,” they added.
“Once this phase is complete, the permanent traffic signals at the site will be turned back on and road users should see a significant improvement on delays.”
The college has also urged students to “factor in extra travel time” due to the ongoing work outside its campus.
