WORK on a £168m revamp of one of the region's most congested roads will start by the end of January.
Campaigners have been calling for the widening of the A453 for years and now Roads Minister Stephen Hammond has announced that work will begin next month.
The scheme involves widening the A453 to a dual carriageway between Junction 24 of the M1 and the Crusader Roundabout, on the edge of Clifton, and to a four-lane single-carriageway through Clifton to the Farnborough Road junction.
A spokesman for the Highways Agency said disruption would be kept to a minimum.
He said: "The aim is to keep two lanes running during the work in the day, but it is likely that there will be some closures and possibly full closures.
"If there are any full closures it will be kept to a minimum."
Traffic management measures will be put in place during January, including a new temporary 40mph speed limit from the M1 to the edge of Clifton and a temporary 30mph speed limit though Clifton itself.
It is expected the project will be completed by the summer of 2015.
Kevin McCormack, chairman of the Clifton Village Residents' Association, said the work had been a long time coming.
He added: "We knew something needed to be done. It is getting bad on this road. It is evident that it has got to be done at some point."
However, Mr McCormack does have concerns about the work."I think the construction will cause an awful lot of upheaval," he said. "There's a lot of concern."
Finalised plans including dates of works are expected to be revealed in early January.
The factory manager for Imperial Tobacco in Nottingham, Ian King, said the move would benefit both members of staff and distribution drivers at their Lenton factory.
He added: "We've been calling for this, along with the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, for years.
"It will help the lorries get to the M1 more quickly. We support it and we are right behind them. It will be worth the temporary disruption to get it done."
The chief financial and operations officer at Nottingham Trent University, which has a campus on the A453 in Clifton, also welcomed the announcement.
Stephen Jackson said: "Anything that improves the road infrastructure and makes it easier to travel in and out of Nottingham is a good thing. And what's good for Nottingham is good for us."
He added: "Our students and staff at the Clifton Campus, as well as the university as a whole, will undoubtedly benefit from reduced journey times and we very much look forward to the completion of the scheme."
Calls to upgrade the road date back to the 1960s.
The Post has also run its own campaign to get the road upgraded.
Notts County Council leader Councillor Kay Cutts said: "I am delighted that we are now within weeks of seeing construction work begin on the A453.
"The county council and the local business community campaigned long and hard for its improvement, with the county council putting £20 million into the scheme.
"The news that work is set to begin in the new year is fantastic news for everyone in Notts.
"The improvements to this vital route, combined with the planned extension to East Midlands Airport, will bring huge benefits to the Notts economy and the East Midlands as a whole."
Councillor Neil Clarke, leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council, said: "This is just what the region has been waiting for – I couldn't be happier that work is starting sooner rather than later. The road in its current state is a bottleneck that delays the efficient flow of trade and traffic and halts the economic recovery of the borough."
The Highways Agency will be holding public information exhibitions at Clifton Leisure Centre on Southchurch Drive, on Friday January 11, from 2pm to 8pm, and on Saturday January 12 from 10am to 4pm.
