Major upgrade of 1930s cycleway complete

Mayor Peter Soulsby (right) joined other cyclists to try the refurbished route

A key cycling route into Leicester has been upgraded in a £1.1m project.

Leicester City Council has resurfaced the eastern side of the Melton Road cycle tracks, between Troon Way and Lanesborough Road.

The authority started work on the scheme in April, aiming to create a "safe and convenient two-way route for cyclists".

The segregated route was built in the 1930s to keep cyclists safe at a time when the use of cars was increasing, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The council said it had replaced the original concrete, which had been crumbling, with new surfacing to make it smoother.

Road junctions have also been improved as part of the scheme, and a new toucan crossing - which allows cyclists to cross safely alongside pedestrians - has been installed on Melton Road, south of the Lanesborough Road junction.

The council said existing crossings between Troon Way and Lanesborough Road had also been upgraded to toucan crossings.

City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: "This latest scheme has revived an historic cycleway that has served cyclists well since the 1930s, but, after 90 years, the old concrete track was in a poor state of repair."

The project was funded with £1.1m from Active Travel England.

The cash was part of an award of nearly £2.2m that was successfully bid for by the council in 2022.

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