Cyclists in Maidenhead now have a dedicated new 1.3km cycle route, making healthy active travel across the town safer and more convenient, thanks to the completion of the £2.8m Missing Links route.
The Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead has constructed the new route in phases, with the final part focused on upgraded paths, a new bridge, landscaping, and signs at Town Moor. The whole route connects current and future residential areas in the north with the town centre and railway station to the south. Pedestrians can also use it.
The overall scheme, mostly funded by government’s Local Growth Fund through the Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), includes improvements at a number of key locations to help people transition to cycling or walking for shorter journeys, supporting the council’s work to tackle climate change.
The council would like the route to be adopted into the National Cycle Network in due course.
Councillor Geoff Hill, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m pleased to see the final phase of this new route completed and I’m sure it’ll prove popular with cyclists and walkers. Creating safer and more convenient cycling routes, empowering more people to reduce their reliance on vehicles for short journeys, not only supports our work to address climate change, but gives our residents the facilities to improve their health and wellbeing.
“We’re also looking at what further walking and cycling improvements we might make in Maidenhead town centre streets, a new pedestrian and cycling crossing over St Cloud Way, and investigating improvements in the Norfolk Road area that might help higher numbers of people walk and cycle into the town centre more easily and comfortably.
“In the meantime, you’ll see work completed this autumn to install a new toucan crossing over the A4 from the car park to Holmanleaze to replace the demolished flyover and be part of the Missing Links route. These are all crucial parts of our major strategic investment into active travel and healthy travel choices in Maidenhead.”
Alison Webster, Chief Executive at Berkshire LEP, added: “This project directly supports and strengthens the regeneration plans for Maidenhead town centre. It is a great example of our LEP investment helping to improve connectivity for people across the area and help create communities where people want to live, work and visit.
“Through the government’s Local Growth Fund, we’ve been able to work with our local authority partners to invest more than £135m in infrastructure improvements that benefit Berkshire, like this new cycleway. With the rise in hybrid working and more people enjoying spending time in their local communities, it is very timely that we have been able to fund and facilitate this new cycleway and champion more sustainable and healthier modes of travel.”