LETTER: Council must see light and consider bypass

However the Musters family are not to blame for the A611 traffic problems.

Notts County Council is the real culprit as I understand it initially failed to produce traffic assessments for Kodak and Sherwood Park.

More than 20 years ago the council rejected out of hand local residents’ proposals for a bypass for Derby Road.

Thirteen or 14 years ago the council proposed a five-lane traffic light junction at Annesley Cutting, together with a dedicated bus lane from the same junction to Shoulder of Mutton Hill.

Local resident protesters produced traffic figures (considerably higher than the council’s) together with a detailed layout of a realistic bypass.

The council put on hold the proposed traffic lights and bus lane and, at the same time, again rejected the proposed bypass .

The council also combined the timing of the traffic lights at the Badger Box, Shoulder of Mutton Hill and the pedestrian crossing. This was later changed back to individual operation as combined operation made congestion worse.

The council has also been looking into a two-lane dual carriageway from Stirling roundabout to Mansfield (Mutton Hill could be a problem).

The latest is that the council is to employ external traffic consultants to see if any of the present junctions can be changed to improve traffic flow.

This will not be cheap.

One way to help reduce traffic would be to remove Mansfield from the northbound M1 direction signs for junction 27 but this would only have a minimal affect. The truth is that irrespective of however much cash the council throws at the problem, at the end of the day the traffic will still be there, it will not go away.

In my view the council has got to get its head from where the sun does not shine and seriously consider a bypass.

Gordon Barkes

Kirkby