CIVIC chiefs are investing money in improving cycling in Southampton.

Work on the new cycleway improvements at Bitterne Triangle and along Peartree Avenue starts on Monday, July 22 and are set to last seven weeks.

The city council says the work follows the launch of the Green City Charter.which aims to making cycling a safe, easy and attractive way of getting around Southampton, as well as cutting pollution and congestion.

The new cycleways are part of the emerging Southampton Cycle Network (SCN) and will link to the SCN3 Eastern Cycle Freeway, running from Bursledon along the A3024 through Bitterne and into the city centre.

Cllr Jacqui Rayment, Cabinet Member for Transport & Place, said: “Please bear with us while we complete this important work. As always, our partners at Balfour Beatty will be making every effort to keep disruption to a minimum. We're committed to investing in more people friendly streets and working towards a cleaner, greener future.

“These two new projects in the East of the city are the latest in a series of improvents for people cycling and walking across the city. We have recently finished the SCN1 Western Cycle Freeway running from Totton to the City Centre and many people are already enjoying the newly opened section of the SCN5 Northern Cycle Freeway at Inner Avenue."

The Bitterne Triangle scheme, set to cost £160,000, and is due to last seven weeks.

It involves: widening a section of footway between Whitworth Crescent and Cobden Bridge to make it a shared cycle way; widening the entrance to Riverside Park to allow better access for people cycling; upgrading traffic signal detection and communications so that the signals can respond better to demand; upgrading traffic signals to communicate with buses and be held on green for longer when an approaching bus is running behind its timetable.

Along Peartree Avenue a new shared use cycleway and footway will be created between Angel Crescent and Chessel Avenue. Pedestrian and cycle crossings will be upgraded.

To carry out the work safely, this section of Peartree Avenue will become one-way only for the duration of the work. Traffic will be able to travel south-west, but north-eastbound traffic will be diverted via Athelstan Road and Bitterne Road West.