WORK to improve an important section of road for walkers, wheelers and cyclists in Leicester will get under way from next week.
The city council is set to begin work on Abbey Gate, in the Fosse area of the city, to create a new two-way cycle track and improve footpaths along the length of the road.
Work will start on Sunday (15 Sep) and is expected to take around three months to complete.
Abbey Gate will be restricted to one-way traffic, from Woodgate towards Ravensbridge Drive, during the works. Bradgate Street will also be one-way towards Blackbird Road. A well signposted diversion will be in place.
Businesses will remain open as normal during the works.
A full road closure will be needed later in the year to enable the carriageway to be resurfaced. Full details will be publicised nearer the time.
Once complete, the improvements will help provide a safe and attractive direct route linking new cycleways on the A50, within the Waterside housing development area, to Route 6 of the National Cycle Network at Abbey Park.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said: “This important scheme will help provide a much-improved link to existing infrastructure for people on foot, on bikes or using wheelchairs or other mobility aids, extending the network of people-friendly routes in and around the thriving Waterside neighbourhood”.
“It’s a further example of our commitment to deliver schemes that help make walking, wheeling and cycling the preferred choice for everyday trips for most people, and extend safe and attractive routes into our local neighbourhoods.”
The £1.3m improvement scheme is being funded through a mix of Enterprise Zone funding through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), and the Transforming Cities Fund following the city council’s successful bid for £32million of second tranche funding to support improvements to public transport and provide more safer routes for walkers, wheelers and cyclists in the city centre and local neighbourhoods.