North Midland Construction paves the way for IKEA Sheffield

completed

NM Group (North Midland Construction Plc) has successfully completed its first contract for IKEA, providing vital access to the new IKEA Sheffield store. Works included widening roundabout approaches as well as creating additional lanes to increase the road network capacity at four junctions. NM Group also created a completely new service entrance for the giant site and its 983-space car park. The site lies on the A6178 Sheffield Road near junction 34 of the M1. One of the main arterial routes into Sheffield and close to the Meadowhall shopping centre, the project required extensive traffic management throughout construction. As the project ran in parallel with the construction of the new store, NM Group worked hand in hand with both Highways England and IKEA’s building contractors. The 340,000 sq ft flagship store cost £60m to build and created 480 jobs. The retailer’s most sustainable store to date, it incorporates photovoltaic panels and rainwater harvesting as well as linking to a district heating scheme. Geoff Poyzer, managing director of NM Group’s highways division, said: “This was an intensive project, designed to keep local traffic disruption to a minimum, while ensuring the highways routes to this landmark store were in place ready for the launch campaign.”