A member of parliament has expressed frustration that the improvements will not commence sooner for drivers using a busy Nottinghamshire junction.
The Ollerton roundabout creates significant difficulties for motorists during busy periods.
Substantial improvement work at this heavily congested roundabout will get under way next year after the elected representative stated she was unhappy the upgrades had not been brought forward.
Preliminary groundwork to enhance the Ollerton junction has already been completed, with additional minor operations scheduled for the latter part of 2026 ahead of the principal construction phase commencing in March 2027.
The broader initiative to modernise multiple important intersections along the A614/A6097 corridor has finally commenced following years of postponement, with the Reform UK-controlled Nottinghamshire County Council anticipating completion within 24 months.
The scheme encompasses expansion work at Lowdham roundabout, modernisation of the White Post junction near Farnsfield, and upgrades at both the Warren Hill and Kirk Hill intersections.
A central element involves addressing the severe traffic problems at the Ollerton roundabout, a crucial North Nottinghamshire intersection located adjacent to two fuel stations, a McDonald’s takeaway and a Costa Coffee outlet.
Congestion on the entry roads routinely extends for between 10 and 20 minutes during high-demand periods, with Michelle Welsh, the Labour representative for Sherwood Forest, indicating her dissatisfaction that the junction had not received earlier attention.
The MP posted on social media that after generations of advocacy, this Labour administration was finally delivering for the area. She expressed personal concern that the county council had opted to begin elsewhere, as anyone familiar with the locality understood the Ollerton roundabout should have been the top priority. Nevertheless, she welcomed the fact that the work was proceeding.
The programme has been under consideration since 2019 and received ministerial sign-off in September 2025.
Funding comprises £24 million from the Department for Transport, £8 million from the county council, approximately £2 million in developer contributions and £12 million from the East Midlands Combined County Authority alongside government backing.
Councillor Mick Barton, the Reform UK leader at Nottinghamshire County Council, insisted it would be inaccurate to suggest the Ollerton roundabout was ever scheduled to be addressed first, stating such inaccurate claims benefit no one.
Councillor Barton informed the Nottingham Post that every element of the scheme had actually been expedited. The Ollerton junction was never intended to be the initial focus, though preparatory and ecological surveys had already been completed. Utility work at Ollerton would commence in early October, followed by other minor operations across the programme, then pause for several months until the major construction begins in March.
The entire scheme spans two years and is being competently overseen by VIA, the council’s highways contractor, which has performed excellently throughout.
The council leader noted that alongside Kirk Hill improvements that commenced last week, work at White Post roundabout and Warren Hill will get under way this month, with Lowdham roundabout upgrades scheduled to begin in September.