Work has started to resurface part of the popular Maryport to Allonby coastal cycleway.
Some sections of the cycleway will be temporarily closed while the works are carried out, although diversions will be put in place for users.
The work is expected to take a maximum of four weeks to complete.
Councillor Tony Markley, Allerdale council’s executive member for leisure and tourism, said: “The cycleway along the coast is very popular with cyclists and pedestrians, and this new set of work to resurface sections of the original path between Maryport and Allonby will be extremely welcome.
“The work will make these sections a lot more accessible for all types of users and will be the perfect complement to the new part of the route.”
Resurfacing of the track south of Allonby follows on from the official opening of the new Allonby to Silloth section of the cycleway.
This new stretch – known as the Solway Coaster – opened last week and sees the 14.1km route form part of the National Cycle Network Route 72 (Hadrian’s Cycleway), which runs from Ravenglass to South Shields in Tyne and Wear.
Allerdale Borough Council took the lead on delivering the project on behalf of the Silloth-on-Solway Coastal Community Team, a mix of public, private and community partners.
To fund the wider project the CCT secured £1m from the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Coastal Communities Fund and a further £250,000 from DEFRA’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which is part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
Around £85,000 of the RDPE funding has been used for the additional resurfacing works between Maryport and Allonby.
Councillor Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “I am pleased to see works to resurface this popular cycle route commencing – the new surface between Maryport and Allonby will enhance the experience for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as improve safety and accessibility.
“This another good example of partnership working with our borough council colleagues to deliver significant improvements to our local communities.”
