Oxford,
25
January
2019
|
14:01
Europe/London

£1m improvement to Oxford’s towpath complete

An ambitious project to regenerate almost 4km of the Thames Towpath in Oxford has been completed.

The improvement works, which stretch from Grandpont Nature Reserve to Hinksey Stream – some 3.8km in length – have rejuvenated a vital off-road route into the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists.

With the drastically improved surface quality and three-metre-wide path along key sections, the towpath is now an attractive sustainable travel route to connect residents with existing and future major sites in the city centre, such as Westgate, Oxpens and Osney Mead.

The project was paid for with funding from the government’s Cycle City Ambition and the Oxfordshire Growth Deal.

Further worksto add buff coloured surfacing will be done in spring 2019 to the section of towpath from Donnington Bridge to Hinksey Stream, which will require further short-term closures. Advanced notice of these works will be given nearer the time.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, Cllr Yvonne Constance, celebrated the completed the project: "We know more and more people want to choose active travel to get into Oxford rather than being stuck in traffic in the car – we’re hoping projects like this will go a long way to helping them do just that.

"Our communities will only thrive if we put the right infrastructure around them, so I’m delighted that this impressive project has been completed.