A national charity which promotes healthy outdoor living is hoping to encourage more people to get on their bike across the Granite City’s newest bridge.
National body Sustrans has given Aberdeen City Council a £750,000 grant to help improve cycling and walking routes around the £22million third Don crossing.
The link between Bridge of Don and Tillydrone – soon to be officially named the Diamond Bridge – has been designed to take 10,000 vehicles a day.
Andy Keba, Sustrans Scotland community links co-ordinator, said: “We were delighted to provide the city council with further community links funding towards new cycling and walking infrastructure for their Diamond Bridge project.
“This project helps connect up the surrounding network with new walking and cycling links to Seaton Park, the city centre, The Parkway and onward connections towards the Formartine and Buchan Way.
“Our Community Links Programme provides funding for the creation of cycling and walking infrastructure for everyday journeys and this bold new project is the first example of segregated infrastructure and cycle priority crossings in the north-east.
“The new infrastructure offers a segregated cycle path which will help to connect communities across the River Don.
“It will encourage people to cycle, walk and use active travel modes as their preferred choice of travel for everyday journeys and also bring many health, financial and environmental benefits.
“Crucially, high quality and sustainable projects like this will bring us closer to achieving the shared vision of 10% of everyday journeys by bike by 2020.”
Last night the news was welcomed by the council’s transport spokesman, Tillydrone councillor Ross Grant.
He said: “The news that Sustrans is proposing to commit a further £750,000 of funding for pedestrian and cycle infrastructure as part of the third Don crossing project is to be welcomed.
“Importantly, it will help in meeting the needs of the local communities in the surrounding area, but also it means that the council can then reallocate and enhance its overall active travel ambitions, in particular on proposals contained within the active travel action plan.
“The council’s commitment to improving the walkability and cycle infrastructure in the area is reaffirmed by our ongoing work to better connect the riverside paths around the river Don in Tillydrone.”