Gloucestershire CC has teamed up with Highways England to help finance a preparatory study that could lead to a £3.5m cycle superhighway between Gloucester and Cheltenham.
The council invested £28,000 into the Highways England study, which took place over the last year and looked at factors including safety, accessibility, personal security, planning issues, environmental impact, and cost.
Over the summer, Highways England will look at its preferred option. This involved a package of improvements to the B4063, which runs alongside the A40 Golden Valley Bypass, Transport Network understands.
If the project is considered value for money, it is hoped the scheme could be designed in detail and consulted on over the next year.
A spokesman for Highways England said: ‘The cycling community are key customers for us and important in encouraging sustainable travel and reducing congestion.
‘Although we still have a lot to do in terms of determining that the study proposal will represent good value for money, the potential scheme is an exciting prospect for us to be able deliver an improvement in a slightly different way that enhances safety and encourages cycling. The process to date has been collaborative with Gloucestershire CC colleagues and we look forward to continuing this relationship.’
Cllr Nigel Moor, the council's cabinet member for fire, planning and infrastructure said: ‘We want to make it easier and safer for people to choose to cycle. Cycling helps reduce congestion and improve levels of fitness and well-being. This is an important first step in delivering a major upgrade to a crucial link in Gloucestershire’s cycle network.’
The plan would also see changes to signage, junctions, and road layout to support cycling.
