There are concerns that a stretch of new cycle route that goes through Gloucester city centre is at risk of flooding due to a lack of drainage.
This route is part of the £40m Gloucester Cycle Spine, which plans to link Bishop’s Cleeve to Stroud via Cheltenham and Gloucester.
It aims to “deliver high-quality cycle and pedestrian facilities that comply with the latest cycle design guidance”, according to Gloucestershire County Council.
Gloucester cycle route plans (credit: Gloucestershire County Council)
There are concerns over the lack of drainage, leading to pools of water where the new cycle path meets the road at the new crossing on Kimbrose Way.
“I was concerned to see a significant pool of water at the new pedestrian crossing at Kimbrose Way on Wednesday and that was after light drizzle”, Councillor Rebecca Trimnell told Gloucestershire Live.
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“It seems that drainage is an issue which needs to be addressed in this location and perhaps in other areas where work has been done on this cycleway.
“I am astonished that decent drainage was not thought about prior to this work. I had presumed the pedestrian crossing was to reopen at the end of October, and it seems this could be further delayed if work is now needed on a drainage solution.
“Pedestrians have had to put up with a lot at this crossing and it’s about time work was completed.”
Puddle on Kimbrose Way, Gloucester copy (credit: Rebecca Trimnell)
This is not the first time that Cllr Rebecca Trimnell has had issues with the Gloucester Cycle Spine. In June earlier this year, she complained about the cycle lane replacing “historic” paving stones with tarmac “mess”.
Speaking about the tarmac, she said: “Across from the church on the corner of St Aldate Street the old paving stones have been removed and now it’s just tarmac. At present it is a disgrace and quite frankly a total, utter mess and is simply not good enough.”
“They should have been left well alone, and it’s a shame local representatives such as myself didn’t have more say in the project at the beginning.”
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However, in relation to the drainage, highways cabinet member Joe Harris said, “In this case, we were already aware of a drainage issue at Kimbrose Way, and our contractor is working to identify the cause and put it right.
“It’s always best when councillors raise local issues with us directly so we can get them sorted quickly rather than going to the press first.
“Whenever we carry out highway improvements, we follow rigorous quality assurance procedures to identify any snagging issues before completion.
“We’re making great progress in delivering high-quality infrastructure that supports convenient and healthy active travel options, including walking, wheeling and cycling, across the county.”