Hertfordshire County Council has announced the completion of a new shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists in Wiggenhall Road, Watford, as part of its goal to improve infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.
The work involved widening the pavement to provide a two-way shared use path and extending the crossing width on the bridge over the River Colne. The footway was also resurfaced on the eastern side of the road.
Accompanying parking restrictions have been added to prevent footway parking and ease traffic movements.
A missing link in the Ebury Way route between Rickmansworth and Watford has been removed to improve access to the nearby Oxhey Activity Park.
The scheme was delivered by the county council after it received £9m from the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund, which was established to fund local authorities projects that encourage walking or wheeling.
The new cycling and walking path aligns with Watford Borough Council’s ‘Transforming Travel in Watford’ strategy to increase sustainable travel options in the Watford area.
Phil Bibby, executive member for highways and transport, Hertfordshire County Council, said: “We are delighted that our first Active Travel Fund scheme is now complete, providing residents and visitors in and around Watford with improved cycling and walking routes, making journeys healthier and towns cleaner and greener.
“This is a benchmark project, the first of many similar schemes we are planning to roll-out county-wide over the coming years as part of our commitment to sustainable travel and improving the health and wellbeing of our communities.”
In July 2021, the council undertook a public consultation on eight proposed schemes across Hertfordshire, which included the Wiggenhall Road project. According to the council, more than three quarters of respondents agreed to some extent with the proposals, selecting either ‘strongly agree’ or ‘tend to agree’.
