The cycleway includes 23km of new multi-user routes and improvements to 95km of existing routes. The remaining work involves the completion of several missing links between the cycling network.
The East Lancashire Strategic Cycleway is made up of four routes - the Weavers Wheel around Blackburn, the Valley of Stone connecting Rawtenstall to Whitworth, National Cycle Network Route 6 (NCN6) linking Accrington to Stubbins and the Huncoat Greenway near Accrington.
Lancashire County Council's cabinet has given the green light to proposals for a further vital link in the network – a section of 'shared-use' track for cyclists and pedestrians along part of Bacup Road in Waterfoot.
This will form part of the Valley of Stone Greenway which runs between Rawtenstall in the north and the Lancashire border near Whitworth to the south.
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The cabinet agreed plans for a 160-metre length of shared-use track between Holt Mill Road and Stansfield Road, along with no-waiting restrictions to operate between 8am and 6pm Monday to Saturday to ensure good visibility and prevent the track being restricted by parked vehicles.
Commenting on the plans, County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The creation of well-signed and easily accessible cycle and walking routes linking towns and villages throughout East Lancashire will make a huge difference to people's travel options, and our environment team has been making determined progress on this for a number of years.
"A number of notable improvements have already been made, from transforming kilometres of previously muddy paths to create the Britannia Greenway, to reopening disused railway tunnels in Waterfoot, resulting in the creation of practical and enjoyable routes which link centres of population while largely avoiding busy roads.
"It's exciting that we've reached the stage where we only have a handful of missing links left to complete the East Lancashire Strategic Cycleway, and I'm pleased that cabinet has agreed to support these latest plans to join existing sections in Waterfoot via a new section of shared-use track.
"We have ambitious targets to increase the number of people regularly cycling and walking in Lancashire, and improvements to our infrastructure such as this are vital to support this goal."
