Rochdale Canal towpath to undergo development

Tuesday, 12 June 2018 07:00

A section of the Rochdale Canal towpath between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden is to benefit from a £1.5m scheme to improve cycling and walking access.

The successful bid, which is to be announced today (12 June), is included in a wider package of £7m investment by the Department for Transport as part of its Cycle Safety Review.

The funding will be used to resurface and widen a 6km stretch of the Rochdale Canal towpath between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, building on improvements currently underway on the 10km section between Hebden Bridge and Sowerby Bridge, and linking the two communities with a traffic free route for cycling and walking.

The scheme will be delivered through the Combined Authority’s £60m CityConnect programme, aimed at making it easier for people to cycle and walk, in partnership with the Canal & River Trust.

Cllr Eric Firth, Deputy Chairman of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: “This is fantastic news for the region, particularly communities in Calderdale, who will benefit from a traffic free cycling and walking route through the valley.

“We’ve already seen the difference schemes of this kind can make. Since improvements to the Leeds Liverpool Canal towpath, delivered through our CityConnect programme, there has been a 70% increase in the number of people on the route, with up to 700 people using it on a daily basis.”

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