McCann commissioned to deliver county-defining Gedling Access Road civil and electrical works

Work to create a congestion-easing access road in Gedling, Nottinghamshire, is well underway with McCann teaming up as a strategic partner of Balfour Beatty to deliver an economy-boosting relief route for the county.

The Gedling Access Road (GAR), is a new 3.8km single carriageway which will provide a quick link between the B684 on Mapperley Plains and the A612 Trent Valley Road/Nottingham Road.

The scheme is being delivered by Nottinghamshire County Council and VIA in partnership with Scape Group, D2N2, Homes England, Gedling Borough Council and Balfour Beatty.

Nottinghamshire County Council has outlined the primary objectives of the scheme, saying that it will “enable the sustainable redevelopment of the former Gedling Colliery/Chase Farm site and adjoining land”, with up to 1,050 residential properties earmarked for the area alongside office and light industrial buildings, shops and access to Gedling Country Park.

The new road will also “provide a bypass link to the east of Gedling” – making for a quicker and smoother connection from the popular suburb to Nottingham city and the wider county. Nottinghamshire County Council has reported that over 15,000 vehicles use the A6211 per day, with traffic levels steadily increasing over a number of years. Easing congestion and providing a faster route for through traffic is a key deliverable for the project.

Planning permission was granted by Gedling Borough Council in 2014 with works starting in early 2016 across utilities and other essential areas. Since that time, the project programme has seen progress across ecology, further drainage works, pre-site clearance and construction – with Balfour Beatty now teaming up with us on several areas of civil and electrical engineering ahead of proposed project completion in the Autumn of 2021.

Speaking about our involvement in the project, John McCann said, “The Gedling Access Road scheme will provide numerous benefits on an economic level as well as in relation to road safety, noise reduction, ecology, landscaping and air quality,”

He continues, “McCann’s role in the scheme is to install lighting columns and electrical cabling as well as road signage foundations. Collectively, all parties are committed to delivering a community-changing scheme which will transform Gedling and the wider area as part of the continuous improvement of the county’s road network by Nottinghamshire County Council alongside the borough councils.”

The teams at McCann and Balfour Beatty have formed a strong working relationship over many years and partnered on several high profile projects recently including Top Wighay Farm in Nottinghamshire as well as works to improve the A19 between Norton and Wynyard in the North East of England. For John this bodes well, with the teams looking forward to linking up once more.

“There’s a great synergy between ourselves and Balfour Beatty in our work ethic, ethos and how we deliver projects. Our positive reputation for successful collaborative delivery is securing us notable schemes across the UK and we look forward to partnering with Balfour Beatty to deliver the Gedling Access Road as well as further projects in the future.”

Gary Wood, Group Manager for Highways and Transport at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “The Gedling Access Road is a major project and investment for the County Council and will have many benefits for not only local residents and businesses but also those travelling through the county.

“Despite the challenges of working within a pandemic the scheme is progressing well and is a great example of partnership working.”