A multi-million-pound scheme to dramatically cut congestion and journey times on a key Nottinghamshire road has been announced.

The county will benefit from £24 million of Government funding which will be used to provide vital junction upgrades along an 18-mile stretch of the A614 and A6097 to slash journey times and provide a major boost to the local economy.

The A614, just a few minutes' drive from Hucknall via the neighbouring village of Papplewick is used to access popular local tourist attractions such as Sherwood Forest, Clumber Park and Rufford Abbey.

The road which crosses Robin Hood Way is a popular alternative to the M1 for motorists heading in and out of Hucknall.

The upgrades will take place along the main north-south local route through the county and will support the construction of 1,330 new homes by boosting access to development sites. This includes 800 new homes at the Thoresby Colliery development, where the works will also support new jobs, as well as a new primary school, shops and leisure facilities and a local community centre.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: "Road-users in Nottinghamshire deserve quicker, easier and better journeys, and I am all too aware of congestion issues along this key route.

"Our multi-million-pound investment tackles the issue head-on. This scheme will dramatically cut congestion, support the construction of more than 1,000 new homes and provide a real boost to the local economy as we build back better from the pandemic and level up transport for everyone across the country."

Councillor Keith Girling, Chairman of the Economic Development and Asset Management Committee, said: "This ambitious £28.6m project has been a top priority for the County Council for some time and I am delighted to see that it is now all systems go.

"The scheme will support planned housing developments along the route in Bilsthorpe, Ollerton and Edwinstowe, reduce peak period traffic congestion for the benefit of commuters and local businesses, and improve road safety for all users.

"I would like to thank all of those people who have been involved in the recent consultation activity and helped us to get to this point."

This announcement is the latest boost for transport in the region, following £169 million being invested from the Government's Transforming Cities Fund into public and sustainable transport infrastructure throughout Nottingham and Derby.