A POP-UP cycle lane, installed to provide a safe route for walkers, wheelers and cyclists at De Montfort University’s busy campus, is to be made permanent.
Leicester City Council will begin work next week (w/c 15 Jul) to improve and make permanent an existing temporary cycle lane on part of Mill Lane, between Western Boulevard and Grasmere Street, crossing the river bridge.
The familiar temporary pop-up plastic wands, which have been in place since spring 2020, will be replaced with raised kerbs to provide a safe and protected route for cyclists.
Temporary traffic regulations introduced in 2020, which made the route one-way only for motor vehicles along this part of Mill Lane and onto Grasmere Street, up to its junction with Jarrom Street, will be made permanent.
Alterations to the junction of Mill Lane and Western Boulevard will be carried out and new traffic lights will be installed.
A new crossing will also be installed on Mill Lane close to its junction with Eastern Boulevard.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport said: “Making permanent routes like the existing pop-up cycle lane on Mill Lane is another important expansion of the city’s growing network of safe and attractive routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists.
“We are continuing to extend the multi-million-pound investment we have made in and around the city centre, out into Leicester’s busy local neighbourhoods to provide safe and attractive routes for commuters, students and visitors.”
“It’s been really encouraging to see that the pop-up routes introduced to provide safe commuting routes for people during the first lockdown in 2020 have remained popular route for walkers, wheelers and cyclists ever since.”
Work is expected to take around three months to complete and will require road closures on parts of Mill Lane. Well signed diversions will be place.
The improvements will cost £340,000 and will be paid for through the city’s ambitious Transforming Cities Fund programme.