Railway tunnel cycle path back on track thanks to funds boost

Published on Friday 30 May 2008 10:33

WORK to create a new cycle path and walkway in an abandoned railway tunnel near the city centre is set to resume – just a week after council chiefs said there was no cash for the scheme.

The Rodney Street tunnel in Canonmills is being re-opened after 40 years to let cyclists and walkers avoid a busy road on their way between the city centre and the city's foreshore.

But no progress has been made on the 350,000 scheme for almost a year after work stopped amid a funding shortfall.

Transport charity Sustrans this week offered the council 100,000 towards finishing the project and city leaders have now agreed to match the funding to complete the job.

However, a date for when work to create the path and light the tunnel – which lies between the King George V playing field and Tesco on Broughton Road – will get under way has still to be finalised.

Cycling groups today welcomed the news of the funding boost.

Ian Maxwell, a member of cycling pressure group Spokes, said: "This is fantastic news – it is a very nasty junction for cyclists and this work will create a key link for the city's cycle network.

"It is an important milestone because it brings the off-road network that bit closer to the city centre and is an important step in creating safe and pleasant routes for people to cycle on.

Sustrans started work to restore the tunnel last year when it paid for reinforcement work to be carried out. The tunnel's cast iron arch had deteriorated and the northern end was no longer strong enough to support the road above.

The first part of work, which got under way in early 2007, was to construct a reinforced concrete arch to overcome this problem.

Councillor Phil Wheeler, the city's transport leader, said: "Increasing our network of cycle paths is important in ensuring we are offering a full range of transport options across the city.

"I am delighted that through our accessible transport team we can make Rodney Street tunnel fully accessible for cyclists."

Built in the 19th century, the tunnel was designed to take trains from Canal Street station – on the site of Waverley Station – to the Granton ferry, before the Forth Bridge was built.

The path will fill a missing link in National Cycle Network route 75, which runs all the way from Glasgow to Edinburgh.

Off-road cycle paths currently head north from the tunnel to The Shore, Trinity, Granton, and in a circle to Craigleith, Roseburn and Haymarket.

Nobody from Sustrans was available for comment.

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