Work underway on new cycling and walking route

The cycleway/walkway which runs alongside the A689, will stretch from Brenda Road to Burn Road when it is complete.

It will include a new light-controlled crossing for pedestrians and cyclists across the A689 near to Brenda Road.

It will also link to a recently-completed project to upgrade cycle lanes along Brenda Road, and is part of a wider strategy to create a “cycling corridor” alongside the A689 from the Borough of Hartlepool boundary to Hartlepool town centre.

Most of the construction work is taking place on the western side of the A689, although a section of the route will be on the eastern side of the road between Brenda Road and Windermere Road.

The scheme which is costing around £437,000, is being funded externally through a programme known as the Local Growth Fund (LGF) managed by Tees Valley Combined Authority alongside private sector contributions from new local commercial developments secured through the granting of planning permissions, known as a Section 106 Legal Agreements.

Sustainable Travel Officer Tony Davison beside the new shared route

The construction work on the latest scheme is being co-ordinated by the Hartlepool Borough Council-led Hartlepool Active Travel Hub. Funded through the Government’s Access Fund, the Hub aims to promote and develop walking and cycling as alternatives to the car.

Tony Davison, the Council’s Sustainable Travel Officer who leads the work of the Hub, said: “The main benefit of this project is that it will take cyclists off the A689 and make it a lot easier to travel to work and get around town by bike and on foot.”

The scheme is one of seven implemented locally and supported by the LGF to the tune of £1.9 million. The seven schemes have resulted in the creation of

• 6.52 km of new or improved traffic-free cycling and walking routes.
• 1.5 km of improved cycling on existing roads.
• 6.9 km of improved on-road cycle lanes.
• 2 new light-controlled pedestrian/cyclist crossings.
• 3 new pedestrian/cyclist bridges.