Portland beach road cycleway to be expanded (From Dorset Echo)

Portland beach road cycleway to be expanded

3:30pm Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News By James Tourgout

WORK is starting on eight- week scheme to widen a cycle path on the Portland beach road.

The Dorset County Council project involves expanding the shared footpath and cycleway between the Chesil Beach visitor centre and Hamm Beach road roundabout.

The project, which was started on Monday, will take around eight weeks.

Construction will start at the visitor centre and go southwards but there will be delays in the final section of work.

Cones will be in place to guide drivers around the works area and stop/go boards will be used when material is delivered to the site.

Councillor Peter Finney, who is the council cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “Widening the Portland Beach Road shared use footpath and cycleway will make it easier for cyclists to safely pass each other, and pedestrians.

“This route is an important link to Portland for residents, commuters and visitors, and improving it will help encourage more people to cycle for work and leisure.”

The path is being widened into the verge apart from the last 250 metres leading up to the roundabout, which has to be widened into the road by half-a-metre due to environmental designations.

The path will remain open throughout the works, but cyclists will be asked to dismount.

The improvements are funded by the Local Sustainable Trans-port Fund.

They are the second phase of work to widen the length of the Portland Beach Road cycleway between the Rodwell Trail at Ferry Bridge and Victoria Square in Fortuneswell.

The first section of cycleway improvements between Ferry Bridge and the Chesil Beach visitor centre was funded by Sustrans and built in 2011.

The final section of the cycleway from Hamm Beach Road Roundabout to Victoria Square, Fortuneswell, is set for construction in 2014.

Visit dorsetforyou.com/lstf for more details.