BLACKBURN with Darwen Council has revealed how it will spend the second chunk of a £385,000 government grant to make roads safer for cyclists and walkers.

The cash is from the Department for Transport’s Emergency Active Travel Fund.

The funding will be spent in three phases.

Stage one, completed this summer, included creating a safe walking and cycling route from Witton Park to the town centre with cycle lanes linking to National Cycle Route 6 using bus lanes along Preston Old Road; the installation of social distancing signage; a ‘park and ride/stride’ facility at the park, with improved links to the town centre to encourage more employees and students to walk and cycle the last two miles of their daily commute; and a new permanent cycle lane on A674 King Street, Whalley Banks and Redlam to Witton Park with long sections of vehicle/cyclist segregation.

Stage two will include a new connection between Witton Park and National Cycle Route 6 in the form of new cycle lane; a cycle lane along A674 Preston Old Road linking to an existing bus/cycle lane (where current morning peak operation will be expanded to 24 hours); and a cycle lane on A6447 Buncer Lane.

Other routes being considered for future work include the A6119 Yew Tree Drive corridor.

Blackburn’s head of highways Dwayne Lowe said: “We’re pleased with the positive changes we’ve implemented already with much more to do in phase two.”