More than £200,000 is being invested in new cycling routes in Widnes and Runcorn to help people stay on their bikes as lockdown eases.

Halton Council has identified three “pop-up” cycle routes that will open in the coming weeks and provide protected space for bikes on popular transport corridors.

The new routes will cover Liverpool Road in the Chestnut Lodge area of Widnes, East Lane to Murdishaw via Halton Hospital and Greenoaks between the Aldi and Marzahn Way.

These will be in addition to the pop-up cycle route being funded by the Liverpool City Region running between Hough Green and the junction of Liverpool Road and Hale Road.

The city region as a whole is seeking to take advantage of a surge in cycling during the coronavirus lockdown to push for expanded cycle infrastructure including properly segregated bike lanes.

It is hoped that this will encourage more people to choose cycling over cars or public transport by making it quicker and safer.

The city region’s cycling and walking commissioner, Simon O’Brien, said: “It’s fantastic to see that work will be beginning on new pop-up bike lanes and foot paths. Infrastructure like this will help people in our city region to travel actively more safely and with confidence.

“It’s also an amazing opportunity to test out our vision for a 600km network of high-quality, permanent walking and cycling routes for the Liverpool City Region.

“Coronavirus has had a huge impact on our city region, but we now have the opportunity to look at how we can change things for the better in the future – and rethinking the way we travel and taking more journeys by bike and on foot needs to be part of that.”

Once the first three routes, funded by a £208,000 government grant, are complete, Halton Council intends to apply for more funding for additional cycling routes.

The routes under consideration are:

A segregated combined cycle/footway between Halton Hospital and Murdishaw local centre along the existing busway verge;

An on-road cycle route from Birchfield Road to Wilmere Lane in Widnes; 

A route along the existing busway verge between Murdishaw local centre and Castlefields via Runcorn East Train Station;

An on-road cycle route from Heath Road (Big Pool) to Clifton Road;

An on-road route or widened footway between Cronton College and Barrows Green Lane

Improved links between the new cycle route and Astmoor Road.

Cllr Stan Hill, the council’s executive board member for transport, said the local authority was also asking residents for their views on where cycle lanes should be added.

He said: “Halton Borough Council has aspirations to extend the active travel network. If you would like to suggest a new cycle route please visit widenmypath.com.

“Officers regularly check this site for suggestions, we cannot guarantee we can deliver the route, but your feedback is always welcome.”