A total of £6.45 million is to be invested on Perth’s Dunkeld Road.
Plans to transform the arterial road into an accessible walking, cycling and wheeling thoroughfare for the local community have taken a step forward, after Perth and Kinross Council secured the money from Sustrans Scotland.
The funding is part of Sustrans and Transport Scotland’s active travel programme called ‘Places for Everyone’, and the works are part of a city-wide plan to drastically improve walking and cycling.
This will include connecting the neighbourhoods of Bertha Park, Inveralmond and Muirton to the city centre along a 1.2 mile stretch of the Dunkeld Road, reallocating parts of the A912 dual carriageway to create a fully segregate cycle lane, and works to improve the footpaths.
More signal crossings will also be installed on this stretch of road.
And for residents north of Perth, a bridge is proposed to connect the National Cycle Network Route 77 to both Stanley and Luncarty.
The funding announcement was made on Wednesday, July 31 at AK Bell Library in Perth.
Cllr Murray Lyle, leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said: “The announcement of this funding is very exciting for Perth and will be put towards facilitating a major change to Dunkeld Road that will benefit not only walking and cycling but also the community as we aim to improve air quality.
“Our plans for improving sustainable and active travel in the city are ambitious, and as with everything you have to start somewhere.
“The Dunkeld Road plan is a perfect place to begin our transformation of Perth into a more accessible place to be, to travel to and to get about.
“We are thrilled that Sustrans supports this project and look forward to working with them to delivering it for Perth.”
The designs are being led by the local authority with support from Sustrans, and they are expected to be finalised next year.
Construction of the new-look Dunkeld Road is then expected to be completed by 2021.
The council is also hoping the plans will make it safer for children to walk to North Muirton Primary School, North Inch Community Campus and Perth Grammar School.
Grace Martin, director of Sustrans Scotland, said: “We’re all changing the way we think and act to get from A to B.
“Much of this step change is as a result of society becoming more aware of the effects of carbon emissions, but it’s also steeped in people wanting to live a healthier lifestyle and become more active.
“Places for everyone’ is focused around empowering communities to help make this step change easier by ensuring we have the right provisions and infrastructure in place for all ages and all abilities.
“We’re extremely excited and encouraged by the projects chosen to receive funding this year and we look forward to working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council to help make Perth more accessible to the local community by foot and by bike.”
Dunkeld Road is the first part of ambitious plans to create a network of segregated cycle paths across Perth.
Further funding will be given from the ‘Places for Everyone’ fund in the future to support the development of these ideas to increase the amount of safe walking and cycling spaces in Perth.
