Routes: Somerset's Stop Line Uncorked
Source: www.sustrans.org.uk | Posted: 25th March 2009
This March, school children at Kingsmoor Primary in Bawdrip will celebrate the opening of a new section of the National Cycle Network which will encourage hundreds of people to walk and cycle their way to a healthier lifestyle.
The 100-metre traffic-free section plugs a missing gap on the former railway line through Bawdrip which means pedestrians and cyclists will no longer have to negotiate the busy A39.
Sustainable transport charity Sustrans managed the project with Somerset County Council, which invested £50,000 on the section to build around sewer and earth works.
The land has been made available by property developers S Notaro Ltd and forms part of The Stop Line Way cycle route between Weston-super-Mare and Seaton, which now has a continuous line from Brean - north of Burnham-on-Sea - to Taunton.
Stop Line Route Project Officer Kim Goonesekera said: "We're delighted to be opening this new section which provides a much quieter route for all sorts of journeys - from leisurely rides to the school run and daily commute.
"It will enable people in Cossington, Bawdrip and Chedzoy to visit family and friends between these villages and avoid the A-road traffic. This path is already popular with families and the local schools children, who are enjoying nature walks along it."
Cllr Tony Shire, Somerset County Council's Portfolio Holder for Highways, said: "Somerset County Council is proud to invest in projects that make a difference to local communities. I hope that the opening of this route will encourage more people to take up the opportunity to get cycling."
Celebratory bike rides will take place from Highbridge railway station to Bawdrip from 1pm and from Bawdrip School to Bridgwater railway station at 3.45pm.
Sustrans is working with Somerset County Council and six other local authorities on improvements to The Stop Line Way, scheduled for completion by 2010.
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