2. River Valley Connections

2.5 Gateway to the Trent Valley

Building a new off-road cycleway connecting communities across the A38.

Project Summary

This project will complete the cycle link between National Cycle Network route 54 from Lichfield to the west, and the National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall and wider landscape to the east.

The route will run from the top of the A38 off slip down the A513 before entering a field to provide a segregated cycle route within the field. The route will follow the field boundary and emerge opposite the National Memorial Arboretum access allowing cyclists to cross directly to the National Memorial Arboretum, or out into the wider landscape.

This link will encourage leisure cycling and promote healthy lifestyles associated with cycling. This will increase the sustainable accessibility of the Trent Valley and be part of an important river connection with associated waymarking. It will provide an important east-west sustainable transport link and connect well with the proposed improvements along the Trent and Mersey canal providing a more comprehensive network for walking and cycling.

Legacy

When the route has been completed the highway based element will be maintained by Staffordshire County Council as part of the routine inspection programme whilst the element within Tarmac’s land will be maintained by Tarmac. Tarmac will routinely inspect the section within their land and undertake reparation works as necessary.

The project will provide a designated sustainable connection between Lichfield, Alrewas, the National Memorial Arboretum and the Trent Valley. The route that runs across land owned by Tarmac will be maintained as a route to the National Memorial Arboretum when the site is fully reinstated after extraction works in the area have been completed over the next 10 years.

Adult and child cycle training and led rides will continue beyond the physical delivery of this project.

Transforming the Trent Valley

Lead Organisation