A CYCLEWAY in Leicester that was first laid out in the 1930s has been repaired and improved by the city council, thanks to funding from Active Travel England.
The eastern side of the Melton Road cycleway – between Troon Way and Lanesborough Road – has been resurfaced and converted into a safe and convenient two-way route for cyclists.
Those using the historic track will now enjoy a much smoother ride, thanks to a new red tarmac surface that’s replaced the original crumbling concrete.
City Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “Leicester has a strong track record of success in bidding for Government funds to improve the city’s cycling and walking infrastructure.
“This latest scheme has revived an historic cycleway that has served cyclists well since the 1930s but, after 90 years, the old concrete track was in a poor state of repair.
“Thanks to funding from Active Travel England, we’ve been able to install a new, smooth, tarmac surface that will greatly enhance the experience for cyclists and bring this important section of our cycling network up to modern standards.”
The cherry tree-lined cycle track was laid out in the 1930s, at a time when far more people travelled by bike than by car, but the growing number of vehicles on the road meant cyclists needed to be kept safe. Across Britain, hundreds of miles of paved, segregated cycle tracks were created, mostly to link people in new areas of housing with their workplaces.
The Melton Road cycleway project was funded with £1.1m from Active Travel England.
As part of the works, the historic cycle track has been extended, with a new northern link to the Troon Way crossing and a new southern link to a new crossing between Lanesborough Road and Sandringham Avenue – creating around 900m in total of new or refurbished cycleway.
Road junctions have been improved as part of the scheme too, and a new toucan crossing – which allows cyclists to cross safely alongside pedestrians – has been installed on Melton Road, south of the Lanesborough Road junction.
Existing crossings between Troon Way and Lanesborough Road have also been upgraded to toucan crossings.
Photo caption: City Mayor Peter Soulsby joins cyclists to try out the refurbished cycleway on Melton Road.
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Note: Active Travel England is the government’s executive agency responsible for making walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyone to get around in England.