Plans for £7.2m cycling ‘super highway’ connecting Royston and Cambridge move up a gear

Plans for a £7.2 million cycling ‘super highway’ connecting Royston and Cambridge have moved a step closer.

The Greater Cambridge City Deal is moving from signature to reality as councillors begin to discuss transport schemes which could be implemented with government funding.

The highway would run separately to the A10, and provide links to Foxton, Meldreth and Shepreth railway stations, as well as the Melbourn science park.

Melbourn county councillor Susan van de Ven, from the A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign, said: “What is exciting is the prospect of transforming options for getting around, when peak-time congestion at both ends of the A10 is already a major headache. Cycling at 12 miles per hour is a great alternative to a traffic jam.

“The A10 corridor is notable for its concentrated clusters of employment, not just in Royston and Cambridge but in all the villages in between. The overall distance of the corridor is quite modest, and the subsections are easily manageable by bicycle.

“At the moment we have a small new section of cycle path between Shepreth and Foxton, but until the whole corridor is served by a joined-up network, many potential cyclists will still choose to travel by car because overall conditions are considered too dangerous. Getting those potential cyclists on to their bicycles will have the positive effect of removing cars from congested roads – so it’s good for everyone.

“Cycle paths are designed to be wide enough to accommodate cycles, pedestrians and mobility scooters, and we should consider them a boon for all three modes of getting around.

“Given the huge population increase already underway in the Greater Cambridge area, it is vital that this project and others are given the support they need.”

The A10 Corridor Cycling Campaign is holding a public meeting at the Coombes Community Centre in Royston on Wednesday at 7.15pm.