Council in £20m A453 bid
Nottinghamshire County Council is pledging to invest £20m to speed up the widening of the A453.
The scheme was due to go ahead last year, but was postponed until at least 2015 in the government's comprehensive spending review.
Kay Cutts, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: "The A453 is the weakest link in the regional road network and the road, in its current state, is severely limiting the economic recovery and development of the area.
"Its widening is fundamental to unlocking the huge economic potential of our vibrant county. We already know that the traffic delays encountered, especially by businesses, are having a detrimental effect upon inward investment."
The proposed scheme would attract traffic back to the A453, reducing the volume of traffic on a number of local roads. It would also improve access to East Midlands Parkway station, said the city council.
The council has sent a letter to the transport secretary, Philip Hammond, pledging a contribution of £20m towards the costs of the widening scheme to encourage the government to give it early approval.
Overall, it is estimated the scheme will cost about £164m to complete.
A decision from the government as to whether any of the reserve schemes will be accelerated for early construction is expected during 2011.
