Nottingham City Council is carrying out the second and final phase of improvements to Canning Circus to help pedestrians and cyclists move around in the area more easily.

These improvements, which will start on 1st September 2008 and run until the end of November, are part of a wider £2 million project called the Western Gateway, which will not only improve cycling and pedestrian facilities, it will also regenerate the areas approaching Canning Circus and enhance the approach to the city from the West.

Improvements carried out during this period include:

·Installing a new toucan crossing, which cyclists can also use, that will link Ilkeston Road to the new central public space.

·Upgrading the pedestrian crossings at the Derby Road / St Helen’s Street and Alfreton Road / St Helen’s Street junctions.

·Upgrading the pedestrian crossing on Derby Road, near to the Ropewalk junction, to a toucan crossing (which cyclists can use too). This will form part of the cycling link between the central public space at Canning Circus and the city centre.

·Providing new advanced cycle stop lines on Derby Road, Ilkeston Road and Alfreton Road approaches to Canning Circus.

Various temporary traffic restrictions will be used so the improvement scheme can be carried out including; off-peak lane closures (9.30am – 3.30pm on week days) on the Ilkeston Road and Derby Road approaches to Canning Circus and using temporary traffic lights to control the traffic while work is completed on the main traffic light signals.  

In addition, from 31st August for five days the left turn from St Helen’s Street into Alfreton Road will be closed to traffic while a new kerbline is laid and ducting installed for traffic lights. Traffic instead will be able to follow a diversion along Ilkeston Road and Highurst Street.  

Towards the end of the improvement scheme the area where work has been carried out will be resurfaced using temporary lane closures.  Work will be carried out in the evenings to cause the least disruption possible.

Cllr Jane Urquhart, Portfolio Holder for Transport and Area Working at Nottingham City Council said: “The improvements to Canning Circus will benefit cyclists as well as pedestrians using the area.  This is the second phase of the £2 million Western Gateway project which will not only improve travel around the area, but will also make the area safer and have a positive impact on residents, businesses and shops.”

Nottingham City Council apologises for any inconvenience these works may cause and reassures people that they will do all they can to keep disruption to a minimum.