The latest round of improvements to Derby’s transport infrastructure are set to begin in the New Year.
Derby Road and Nottingham Road will deliver better transport choices for Derby, through improved access for pedestrians and cyclists while maintaining traffic flow for drivers.
The plans are geared towards making it easier for people to choose active travel options, like walking and cycling, as a way of getting around the city.
The existing footways along Nottingham Road will be widened to 3m and converted to shared use paths for walking and cycling. The cycle route will then continue following a new two-way cycle track from Aspen Drive to the Asda at Spondon.
The environment is at the heart of these plans. To reduce damage, areas with existing trees - such as the area adjacent to Sunny Grove - will be widened to just 2.5m to allow the trees to stay in place.
The safety of cyclists is key, and they will benefit from a new crossing facility at the junction between Derby Road and Aspen Drive, as well as a tighter junction forcing cars to slow down more.
For drivers, there were some concerns that new cycle lanes would lead to narrower, more dangerous roads. These concerns have been listened to and while the carriageway will be narrowed to 3.25m each way, the removal of the white hatching means that lanes will be wide enough for busses and lorries to pass each other safely.
To reduce pollution and congestion in the area, the dedicated right turn lanes on Nottingham Road have all been retained. This will reduce the number of stationary vehicles by allowing those who want to turn to do so.
Councillor Carmel Swan, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Transport and Sustainability, said:
“I’m delighted that this latest round of transport improvements is ready to go. Many of our improvement works so far have focused on the city centre, but Derby is much more than this and it’s important that other areas of the city benefit from improved transport choices.
“These improvements are a welcome addition to our ever-growing network of active travel infrastructure and will play a key role in our efforts to combat climate change through reduced pollution and congestion in Derby.”
Works are programmed to commence on the 2 January 2024 and will continue in phases up until March 2025.
They are part of Nottingham and Derby’s Transforming Cities programme, being delivered by Balfour Beatty on behalf of Derby City Council.
The works are funded by the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund. Working in partnership, Nottingham City and Derby City Councils secured £161 million to invest in local transport infrastructure that will improve sustainable transport, support growth, and encourage more low carbon journeys.