New cycleway sections link town centre to longer route
Work to create new sections of town centre cycleway to connect to a longer walking and cycling corridor in Newcastle begin this summer.
They form part of wider £1million package of improvements included in the Newcastle Town Deal projects. The new sections will connect to a walking corridor between Keele University, Newcastle town centre and Stoke-on-Trent railway station.
New sections will be installed on Barracks Road and Hassell Street. They will include shared use cycleway on both roads, with a new toucan crossing installed on Barracks Road. This will lead to the recently installed cycleway on George Street.
The project also includes new cycleway sections around the Gallowstree islands near Keele University, together with a new toucan crossing on Cemetery Road.
While main works are scheduled to begin in the summer, on site project surveys will get under way imminently. This will involve some short-term temporary traffic management when surveys take place, generally during off-peak times.
Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet member for Highways and Transport David Williams said:
The new sections of cycleway and toucan crossings in Newcastle will significantly improve both safety and connections for cyclists and pedestrians.
The project is being funded through the Town Deal, led by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and will form part of a continuous cycling and walking corridor from Keele, through the town centre and eastwards.
Together with the Borough Council, we want to encourage more people to consider cycling as a green travel option which increases fitness and wellbeing. Cycling is also a great way to move around over shorter journeys.
We hope there will be some reduced town centre traffic, making Newcastle town centre a more attractive place to live, work and visit.”
Stephen Sweeney, Deputy Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Cabinet member for Finance, Town Centres and Growth, said:
We are committing a great deal of money and energy into maintaining Newcastle town centre as a place that’s enjoyable and attractive to residents of all ages.
Developing walking and cycling routes, including those which link to Keele University to the west and the train station to the east, is an integral part of that as we make the town centre more easily accessible and reduce the reliance on cars wherever possible.”
People can find out more about the project here.
The Government awarded £23.6million Town Deal funding to Newcastle Borough Council. More information is available about that here.