By Joe Locker, Local Democracy Reporter
A company once owned by Nottingham City Council will be used for the £9m revamp of a busy Maid Marian Way junction.
The Labour-run authority will be improving the junction where the road joins Derby Road and Upper Parliament Street in a bid to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
Dozens of native trees will also be planted in the area to make it more attractive and environmentally-friendly.
A public consultation carried out in 2022 revealed more than half of pedestrians said the current roundabout was poor or very poor for them to use.
The project is being delivered using funding from the Government, through its Future High Street programme.
Civil engineering and road surfacing contractor, Thomas Bow Ltd, has since been appointed to conduct the works for the council.
The firm, which was purchased by the Labour-run authority in 2019 and later sold for an undisclosed sum, will be paid £5.7m for the contract out of the £8.97m budget for the project.
“The scheme has now been fully designed and pre-engagement works with our preferred contractor Thomas Bow have been undertaken to confirm their ability to meet budget programme and method,” council delegated decision documents say.
“In order to maintain progress against the programme and to continue to comply with funding conditions, [a] start on the site is due to begin in April 2024.
“However, the main works contract now needs to be agreed and entered.
Therefore this decision seeks approval to enter into the main works contact with the preferred contractor, Thomas Bow, to deliver the Maid Marian Way Infrastructure works, funded by the Future High Streets Fund.”
Thomas Bow works around the Midlands and delivers infrastructure services to support, develop, and maintain road networks and public areas.
It was previously awarded the contract by the council for the construction work around the Broadmarsh and the pedestrianisation of Collin Street, which has since been completed.
The council said selling the company provided “best value”.
Under the Maid Marian Way project, the existing roundabout will be replaced by a traffic light-controlled T-junction, while the green space in the middle of the roundabout will be removed to make way for areas of planting for a more attractive space to walk.
Once the project is complete, traffic will be able to turn right from Mount Street making the journey easier and reducing emissions, while a new left turn will be created on Park Row to allow traffic to head north onto Maid Marian Way.
A mixture of 41 large native trees, almost four times as many as are being removed, will be replanted in the area once the project is complete.
The main construction works will begin in April and the new junction is expected to be complete by spring 2025.
Bus services are expected to be impacted and timetables are being revised, Nottingham City Transport (NCT) says.
Anthony Carver-Smith, head of marketing and projects at NCT, said: “We have been working closely with Nottingham City Council ahead of the start of works on Maid Marian Way.
“We are revising the timetables on our Pink, Orange and Turquoise Line services and adding additional buses into these routes from March 31 to give drivers additional time to complete their routes, factoring in potential delays that may occur.”
Transport and highways portfolio holder, Cllr Angela Kandola (Lab), added: “It’s clear that work needs to be done to improve this area and make it safer for everyone, so it’s great to see these Government-funded works now kicking off.”
