Shropshire bike route finally opens
It has been a long ride to get it finished -but now cyclists and walkers are taking to a path linking Shropshire and Staffordshire to celebrate its opening on Sunday.
A 1.8-mile stretch of the 14-mile Newport to Stafford cycle route had lain unfinished for a number of years due to budget issues.
But after Staffordshire County Council found £300,000 to finish the £1.1 million project, work to repair the final unfinished part of the popular national cycle network route 55 began last September.
That work is now finished and keen cyclists and walkers will be meeting to ride the route as a group on Sunday, starting in Newport.
The finished path now takes cyclists and walkers through 14 miles of countryside along the former Stafford to Shrewsbury railway line – and takes users through picturesque villages such as Haughton and Gnosall.
Councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for economy, environment and transport at Staffordshire County Council, which funded the work, said: "This has been an important project that we have been working on for many years now and it's great news that the cycleway is finished."
Cyclists, walkers and councillors will meet at the site on Sunday morning to celebrate the completion of the work – guests will include chairman of Newport Cycling Club Nick Jeggo and Councillor Eric Carter, member for Newport East, who had pushed for Staffordshire to finish the work.
Mr Jeggo said: "We have arranged for the members of the club to be there and there has already been people using it – it has become a lot better now and the signs are up to show people where they are heading. People will be a lot more confident to use it.
"We want to get together to raise awareness that the path is finished and we are looking forward to it."
