New £100m A1 to A46 link road opens

A new £100m road connecting the A1 to the A46 in Nottinghamshire has been completed, after nearly three years of construction.

The Newark Southern Link Road, known as Middlebeck Way, is about three miles (4.8km) long and the development covers 700 acres (283 hectares) of land.

It is designed to ease congestion, improve journey times and strengthen Newark's connectivity while opening up land for the planned 3,150-home Middlebeck development.

As well as improving transport infrastructure, developers said, the road runs alongside footpaths and a series of drainage ponds that enhance biodiversity and support sustainable water management.

Urban&Civic, which is also the developer behind the housing project, has provided £65m in funding for the new road scheme.

An additional £20m came from national government, with "significant" additional contributions from Newark and Sherwood District Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, and local public partners.

Nigel Hugill, chief executive of Urban&Civic, said: "Successful public/private sector partnerships are a common aspiration but seldom delivered in practice.

"The new strategic link is a shining example that has been over a decade in the making.

"Eventually, Urban&Civic took the construction risk and met the bulk of the cost but it was public funding underpinned by a clear and unwavering recognition of the project significance that bridged the gap.

"I can only applaud the extent of that resolve."

Paul Peacock, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: "The opening of this new road is great news for the whole district. It will help ease dreaded congestion and allow much-needed homes and employment opportunities to be delivered.

"It is a real testament to partnership working, spearheaded by the district council, that we have managed to open this road months ahead of schedule and within budget."

National Highways director of third party projects, Tim Coffey, said: "From the outset, this project has been a very close collaboration between National Highways and Urban&Civic.

"Completion of this roundabout and junction has been a really good example of how developers, or any other third parties, can work effectively with National Highways to integrate and connect with our major roads."

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