Cycleway 9 Extension to Watermans Park Opens |
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Next phase of construction to begin in coming weeks
October 13, 2023 A new section of Cycleway 9 has opened with the completion of a segregated bi-directional section between Kew Bridge and Watermans Park. Work began on the project to build the 253-metre section on 27 March and it joins the existing track along the South Circular with a cycleway through Watermans Park which ends near the Arts Centre. The section of the cycleway starting at the Kew Bridge junction is bi-directional along the south side of Kew Bridge Road until it passes the Regatta Point Building switches to a one-way track each side of the road which with a separate signalised crossing for cyclists east of the Musical Museum. Westbound cyclists can continue to link up with the cycle path through Watermans Park. Raised paving has been used to segregate cyclists and adjustments the layout of side-roads have been made to make cyclists more visible to emerging vehicles. Existing bus stops in this section have been moved to islands which will require passengers to cross the cycleway. The completion of the project should provide some reduction in congestion in the area as it had exacerbated delays caused by work taking place on the A4.
Plans have already been drawn up for a further extension of the cycleway through the centre of Brentford towards Hounslow. TfL and Hounslow Council say they will begin construction work in 'the coming weeks'. It will run from Pump House Crescent to Alexandra Road and add around 890 metres to the cycleway network. The work is expected to be completed by August 2024. In this section there will be segregated cycle paths on each side of the High Street with upgrades to four existing pedestrian crossings at Ferry Lane, Ealing Road, North Road and Holland Gardens. Side roads and junctions will be redesigned with the intention of making them safer for people walking and cycling. When this section of the route is completed, there are proposals to extend C9 into Hounslow Town Centre. A consultation was held on the plan in 2022 and another one will be undertaken in 2024. A map of the cycleway. Picture: Hounslow Council Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said,“This latest extension of Cycleway 9 will make cycling journeys between town centres in west London safer and more accessible. The Mayor and I want to build on the boom in cycling we’ve seen in recent years, and we will continue to work closely with boroughs to rapidly expand the network of Cycleways as we build a greener and better London for everyone.”
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