Scunthorpe Ridgeway will be extended from Burringham Road to Hammerton Road in Scunthorpe helping to connect more people to employment, education, leisure and other cycling facilities thanks to a £500,000 investment from the Government via Sustrans.
Sustrans has provided the grant funding, which is being match funded by the council, to construct the one-kilometre extension. The route – part of the National Cycle Network – currently runs from Burringham Road to Normanby Enterprise Park, connecting the north and south of Scunthorpe.
The new path will be 3.5 metres wide offering plenty of space for both cyclists and walkers, and will have lights along the route to make it accessible at all times.
Construction is due to start in the autumn and is expected to be finished in March 2022. The majority of the work is off-road, therefore disruption will be kept to a minimum.
The route will use the green spaces and some service roads that run from Saxby Road all the way down to Hammerton Road, making it entirely off road apart from where is crosses existing roads. A new parallel crossing will be installed at the crossings of Ferriby Road, Spilsby Road, Manby Road and Enderby Road.
Cllr Rob Waltham MBE, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council, said:
“Scunthorpe Ridgeway is a high quality off-road cycling and walking route that is popular with residents using it to get to work, college or for leisure purposes. The extension will make it accessible for even more people travelling from the north of Scunthorpe to the south.
“We have recently invested in cycling networks in Scunthorpe town centre to improve connectivity, and encourage more people to cycle and walk. The Ridgeway links in with this and other cycling facilities across North Lincolnshire.
“The long term plan for Scunthorpe Ridgeway is to extend it even further to Bottesford Beck allowing more residents to take advantage of the route.”
This most recent development for Scunthorpe follows multi-million pound investments, including the Towns Fund and Future High Street Fund, which will improve connectivity to the town centre from surrounding residential areas, regenerate the town and provide environmental enhancements.
