Cycling improvements come early to Chester thanks to multi-million pound funding

Mar 13 2009 Chester Chronicle

Chester will become a haven for commuting and visiting cyclists which will benefit health and the economy. DAVID HOLMES reports

CYCLISTS and walkers will benefit from improvements two years early thanks to millions of pounds worth of funding heading in Chester’s direction.

The £1.25m Lottery-funded Connect2 project will extend and improve access to Chester’s cycling and walking network including joining communities north and south of the Dee.

Completion dates for three elements of Connect2 have been brought forward by two years to 2011 because Chester is receiving a separate Government grant to become ‘a cycling city’ which forms part of the necessary match funding.

These works include extending the Millennium cycleway by 3km from Hoole to Mickle Trafford, creating a cycle access link to Greyhound Retail Park from the canal towpath and providing a crossing from Curzon Park over the River Dee along-side the railway bridge.

The final phase, to be completed in 2013, is the iconic new walking and cycling bridge to span the River Dee linking Boughton with Handbridge via the Meadows.

And the Connect2 project is a step closer to reality after sustainable transport charity Sustrans and its partners at Cheshire County Council and Chester City Council signed the paperwork that will guide the development for the coming years.

This agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding, confirms partners continued commitment to the project.

Cllr Eveleigh Moore-Dutton, executive member for highways at Cheshire County Council, said: "I am delighted that we have now secured the funding for this very important project. This project will provide an essential link for walkers and cyclists alike and will help us try and minimise the impact of car traffic in the area."

Sustrans regional director, Peter Foster said: “We're delighted to be making this significant step towards connecting communities on either side of the River Dee to a network of walking and cycling paths. In this era of growing concerns about the health of individuals and our environment, enabling more journeys to be made by foot and bike can only benefit our community.”