WORK TO IMPROVE DAWES LANE WALKING & CYCLING LINK
Work to upgrade a key off-road walking and cycling link near Sherford is expected to get under way in March.
Dawes Lane, which runs between Sherford Road and Elburton Road, is a popular trail but can be tricky to traverse, with a very uneven surface and areas that become extremely waterlogged and muddy.
Improvements have been planned for a number of years and funding has now been secured through contributions from the nearby Sherford development (£95k) and Government grants (£46k).
The northernmost section will be repaired using a combination of pothole patching and resurfacing and where the bedrock has become exposed, a reinforced concrete slab will be laid. The remainder of the route will be re-graded and topped up with planings and a drainage channel will be created to take away surface water.
Councillor John Stephens, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “This is a really popular link for people walking and cycling between Brixton and Sherford. It provides important off-road access avoiding the busy A379, which has no footways.
“However, as a user of the track myself I know how tricky it can be to traverse, especially in the muddier places and during bad weather and I hope local residents will welcome these long-awaited improvements.”
Vegetation overgrowth will be cut back from Monday 23 February, with the main work due to start on Monday 16 March, at which point the lane will need to be closed.
Work is expected to finish in mid-May and arrangements have been made with landowners for the nearby pathway between Portway Close and Sherford Road to be opened during the closure, for the small number of pupils who use this this route to get to and from local schools. The gateway on Portway Close will be unlocked from 8am to 9am and from 3.30pm to 4.30pm on weekdays to allow this access.
Two-way traffic signals will be used at times on Elburton Road, from below the junction with Pennys Lane to the junction with Arcadia, for the delivery of materials to the site. This will only be for short durations during off-peak times.
