Work has started on removing the controversial £1.7m cycle lane, dubbed “Britain’s most-hated” on Linthorpe Road in Middlesbrough.
The £2.7 million removal is being funded by the Tees Valley Combined Authority. It will include planing of the existing surface, re-laying of the new surface and installation of associated road marking and traffic signals.
The work will take place in phases over the next four weeks, with signed diversions between Borough Road and Ayresome Street.
Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough (Image Credit: Kevin Marks / Twitter)
A spokesman for Middlesbrough Council has said: “These closures are unavoidable to allow us to complete the final elements of these works.
“The work will be undertaken off-peak to minimise disruption, and we are grateful to the public for their patience and understanding.”
The route was installed in 2022, with the aim of being a “quick and safe” corridor into central Middlesbrough. However, it has been heavily criticised after injuries and claims that it is a “clear getaway” for shoplifters and drug dealers.
Not long after the route was opened, a 78-year-old pensioner was left with a broken wrist and a black eye after tripping over an ‘Orca’ cycle lane separator.
A week later, cyclist Paul Harris required stitches after being thrown over his handlebars after colliding with one of the same dividers. He said that cyclists had to cycle over the bumps to pass the bus stop.
He told Teesside Live, “Why should somebody get hurt just for the council to then turn around and say they’ll take it away?
“If people keep getting hurt in all these accidents, then they never should have built it in the first place.”
Linthorpe Road cycle lane flytipping (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
A Freedom of Information Request by the Local Democracy Service in August 2025 revealed that the authority had paid £85,728 for 15 injury claims linked to the lane’s controversial markers, with a further six claims still being processed at the time.
A 27-year-old woman also fractured her elbow on a night out crossing the lane. The ‘orcas’ were later replaced with plastic wands, and the proposed extension of the scheme was shelved.
Local business owners and workers also raised concerns that the shortage of parking and drop-off areas was costing them trade. One worker even said it was a “clear getaway for criminals”.
The worker from The Sleep Centre, a bed and mattress shop, told TeessideLive that it was encouraging shoplifters and drug dealers “because of the bollards, no one can stop them and the police will have a field day trying to catch them.”
> Cycle lane will be “clear getaway” for shoplifters and drug dealers, business owners claim
The removal faced months of delays due to a feud between Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen and Labour mayor Chris Cooke over who should fund and carry out the works.
In December 2024, the council finally approved plans for its removal, with TVCA agreeing to cover the full cost.