The final part of a major upgrade to the important A52 route across the East Midlands has moved a step closer today with National Highways appointing Griffiths Farrans Joint Venture as the main contractor to deliver the work.
GFJV will design and construct the remaining two junctions at Nottingham Knight and Wheatcroft with work expected to start in September 2024. It is due to finish in 2026/27.
National Highways will hold a public consultation to share the more detailed proposals and seek local views later this year.
National Highways has identified several junctions for improvement, to reduce congestion, improve pedestrian and cycle routes, make the road safer for all users, support growth in the area and provide capacity for more traffic from local developments.
The scheme, announced in 2014 as part of the government’s Road Investment Strategy, consists of a package of measures to improve several junctions along the length of the A52 in Nottingham, including signalisation and junction reconstruction.
Senior Project Manager for National Highways in the Midlands, Nick Medlicott, said that the announcement of GFJV’s appointment “: “Today’s announcement that we have appointed GFJV as our main contractor on the final phase of our A52 Improvements Project “marks an exciting milestone in a transition which we know will make journeys smoother for motorists and support economic growth. We are coming into this final phase of the upgrade works in a strong position, with an ongoing collaborative relationship with our main contractor and an established team in place.”
National Highways has already carried out improvement works at Nottingham Road and Cropwell Road junctions which opened to traffic in 2017.
In 2021, work began on the four remaining smaller junctions – Bingham, Stragglethorpe, Silverdale which are all now complete.
Work at Gamston started in January this year (2022) and is set to finish in Spring 2023.
Steve Haviland, Partnership Leader at Griffiths Farrans Joint Venture, said: “We are looking forward to continuing our successful relationship with National Highways to deliver the final element in an integral series of works that will have a positive impact for travel in this region.
“High profile projects like this one demonstrate the critical role that civil engineering has to play in delivering a functioning, valuable road infrastructure. By reducing congestion and improving safety with this work, we are building a network which will support transport and logistics, save lives and allow the local economy to grow for years to come.
“We have been active in the area for a number of years now and we are pleased to have built collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in the area. We look forward to continuing these relationships to deliver a positive lasting impact through jobs, skills and apprenticeships, working with our local supply chain partners, supporting schools and charitable organisations.”
(Picture – National Highways)
