The next phase of improved cycle links in Blyth is getting underway, to create stronger, safer and greener links for work, education and leisure in the town.
It’s the latest in a network of schemes in Blyth, building on the recent improvements around Waterloo Road, which involved upgraded crossings on the A193 Renwick Road, connected by shared use footways.
The new section picks up where the previous one finished, starting at Bondicar Terrace, crossing Marine Terrace then onto Cypress Drive.
The route then follows the east side of Broadway Circle to the roundabout, onto Princess Louise Road and then onto Broadway Crescent and Kingsway. Finally it’s on to Plessey Road and along to Wellesley Drive.
The work gets underway in September and is expected to complete around May 2025. In the coming years there are plans to continue these improvements south to link up with the Coastal (NCN1) route in North Tyneside. The £1.9m scheme is being funded by the Department for Transport administered via the North East Combined Authority.
Cllr Richard Wearmouth, who leads the County Council’s Cycling and Walking Strategy, said: “This is yet another step forward towards more active and sustainable transport in our county.
“We know infrastructure is one of the barriers to residents using more active means of travel and I’m pleased we can continue to progress these safer and more efficient routes.”
The improved cycling route links in with the Big Northumberland Gear Change campaign, which encourages people to adopt greener ways of moving around the county by walking, cycling and using public transport more often.
Cllr Wearmouth added: “We already have some fantastic tourism-focused cycle routes in Northumberland, and we hope these urban routes will not only enhance our area for visitors but will make sustainable transport more accessible for short ‘every day’ journeys for our residents who live and work in the county.”