Busy Leicester road to close for 3 months as pop-up cycle lane becomes permanent

A Leicester road near De Montfort University will be closed to traffic for three months while work is carried out to make a pop-up cycle lane permanent. Parts of Mill Lane, between Western Boulevard and Grasmere Street, will close to allow the scheme to take place.

The works are to start next week on the road that stretches along the Soar river. The plastic rods that form the pop-up bike lane are in effect from spring 2020.

These will be removed and raised curbs will be installed. They will “provide a safe and protected route for cyclists”, Leicester City Council said.

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A temporary traffic regulation was also introduced in 2020 to make this part of Mill Lane and Grasmere Street connected, up to the junction with Jarrom Street, one-way. This will become permanent and part of the work. New traffic lights will also be installed at the junction of Mill Lane and Western Boulevard, and a new crossing will be installed in Mill Lane, close to its junction with Eastern Boulevard.

The work will be carried out in two phases, the first being the closure of Mill Lane between Western Boulevard and Eastern Boulevard from Monday 15 July to Sunday 11 August.

The second will see the road close between Western Boulevard and Grasmere Street from Sunday 11 August to Sunday 15 September. Grasmere Street will become two-way to allow access to properties and businesses during the works, the council said.

Leicester City Council said “well signed” diversions will be in place during the works and traffic wardens will be on hand to help drivers. The scheme will cost £340,000 and will be paid for through the council’s Transforming Cities Fund.

Councilor Geoff Whittle, the city’s assistant mayor for environment and transport, said: “Making permanent routes like the existing pop-up cycle lane on Mill Lane is another important extension of the city’s growing network of safe and attractive routes for walkers, travelers and cyclists. We are continuing to expand the multi-million pound investment we have made in and around the city center in Leicester’s busy local neighborhoods to provide safe and attractive routes for commuters, students and visitors.

“It was really encouraging to see that the pop-up routes introduced to provide safe commuting routes for people during the first lockdown of 2020 have remained popular routes for walkers, commuters and cyclists ever since.”