Council makes changes after delays at new junction

The T-junction opened earlier this month, but work there is expected to continue until summer 2025

A council has made changes to a busy city junction after bus firms said a new road layout was causing delays.

The Maid Marian Way island - which connected the road with Derby Road and Upper Parliament Street in Nottingham - has been removed and replaced with a T-junction as part of an £8.97m project.

When the new layout opened, bus company trentbarton said it was causing "significant delays" and Nottingham City Transport (NCT) said the changes had "disproportionately affected bus users".

NCT said following productive discussions with the city council, alterations to the construction and signal phasing had been made to allow buses to flow through the junction.

NCT said it was looking forward to the completion of the scheme in 2025

A council spokesperson said a short section of bus lane was added in the approach to the bus stop on Tollhouse Hill to help buses get through.

And a yellow box had been added "so that motorists don't block the junction" and signal phasing adjusted, the council said.

Work on the Maid Marian Way project began in the spring, with officials saying the roundabout was "outdated" and a barrier to movement around the city centre.

The new layout will also provide space for "new public realm areas and planting".

Work in the area will continue until summer 2025, and the junction is currently controlled by temporary traffic lights.

A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council - a parent company of NCT - previously said the current situation was "temporary while works are in progress".

NCT said the recent tweaks to the construction and signal phasing were "for the most part, allowing buses to flow through the junction whilst minimising delays to our services".

It said: "There may still be days and times when delays occur, and when services have to be diverted.

"If you do experience a delay, we do apologise – please treat our colleagues with respect when they get to you, as we're doing what we can."

A spokeswoman for trentbarton said: "After positive discussions with Nottingham City Council, the sequence changes have made a difference to congestion, however, we are still experiencing some delays during peak times which we can only apologise to our customers for.

"We will continue working alongside the authority to ensure the remainder of the scheme runs as smoothly as possible."