Colossal Nottinghamshire viaduct could become cycleway

The 450-metre Bennerley Viaduct, one of the most impressive disused structures to survive from Britain’s railway age, could become a new cycleway if a Lottery bid succeeds.

Cycling charity Sustrans has been granted £40,000 to develop plans to restore the viaduct. If they find that a bike route is feasible, they’ll then ask the Heritage Lottery Fund for £2m to carry out the work.

Local resident Kieran Lee, appointed as Sustrans’ Community Engagement Officer for the project, explained:

“Part of the £40,000 funding will be used to develop a heritage walk around the viaduct, and to produce materials for local schools leading to an exhibition at Erewash Museum to get the local community interested.

“In the future, when we have really good solid evidence that there’s huge community support for this project, we will be putting a further application to the Heritage Lottery Fund to restore and reopen the viaduct.”

The viaduct was opened in 1877 to give the Great Northern Railway direct access to the coalfields of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Crossing the Erewash Valley between Ilkeston and Awsworth, it was one of very few wrought iron viaducts to be constructed. The viaduct was closed to rail traffic in the 1960s and was in turn bequeathed to Sustrans’ sister charity, Railway Paths Ltd.

If reopened, the route would connect with the Erewash Canal towpath in the valley below, as well as a growing network of local routes between Nottingham and Derby.

Meanwhile, conservation and preservation work continues to be carried out on the viaduct by the Friends of the Bennerley Viaduct.

Boris's bike advisor calls for new routes

Andrew Gilligan, the Mayor of London’s cycling commissioner, is drawing up a list of new superhighways he wants to see constructed after Boris Johnson’s term comes to a close. The “legacy plan” includes a new segregated route along Westminster Bridge Road.

San Francisco mayor vetoes stop law

The advance of the ‘Idaho Stop’ has come to a, well, stop in San Francisco. Mayor Ed Lee has vetoed proposals to introduce the practice, where cyclists are allowed to roll through ‘Stop’ signs – treating them as ‘Give Way’/‘Yield’ – and also to turn right on a red light. The SF Bicycle Coalition says the veto is “a major step away from [his] promise to eliminate traffic deaths and severe injuries”.

Japan to get its own National Cycle Network

Japan is the latest country to establish a network of bike touring routes.

Roads selected for the Japanese national cycle network will have low traffic numbers, bike rental facilities, and a good safety record. The routes will also be designed to take in scenic areas, historic sites and other tourist attractions. Once the routes have been chosen, Japan’s tourism ministry will pay for signage and facilities for riders.

The Japan Times reports that one of Japan’s first touring routes, crossing the Seto inland sea, has seen visitors double in five years thanks to the views and the facilities en route. Another 30 routes have been earmarked for potential inclusion in the network.

Work will start on the network in 2016.

Cycle traffic lights for Liverpool

Liverpool is to become one of the first cities in Britain to get bike-friendly traffic lights which give cyclists a head start. Unusually, thermal imagery detectors will sense the presence of cyclists, and only trigger the advance lights when cyclists are present.