Work is due to get underway today (14th September) on a new £500,000 cycle improvement scheme that will provide a continuous off-road route, connecting the city centre with the Wyvern, the new footbridge over the A52 and Pride Park.
The program forms part of the successful £161m joint bid with Nottingham City Council to the Department of Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund, which is aimed at improving connections between major employment sites and promoting active travel and public transport.
The bid not only supports the city’s ambitions to improve cycling and other public transport links, but also looks at creating new park and ride hubs as well as launching an electric rapid transit route through the city centre, all contributing to the city’s recovery strategy to reboot Derby’s economy after the Covid-19 crisis.
Phase one, will see the development of a new cycle path located on the grass verge between Chequers Road and the A52. The new path will adjoin the existing pedestrian cycle path at Pentagon Island and the existing cycle path adjacent to the Costco Store.
In order to accommodate the new path, the carriageway will need to be narrowed slightly and localised widening will be carried out to alleviate this. New street lighting will also be installed on the southern side of Chequers Road.
Councillor Matthew Holmes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Transportation said:
A key part of our successful bid was the expansion of sustainable travel options, and I am delighted that work is starting on extending our network of cycle lanes, and improving the environment to further encourage more people to stay active and cycle and walk around out city.
The work is expected to take ten weeks to complete. Phase two of the scheme will follow later in the year.