Construction work on the second phase of the Manchester Road Active Travel scheme between Wilmslow and Handforth is due to begin on Monday 5 October.
The Cheshire East Council project will add new road crossings, extend the segregated cycleway and improve walking routes along Manchester Road. The work is expected to continue until spring 2027.
The scheme is being funded by Active Travel England and is intended to make walking, wheeling and cycling safer and more accessible between Wilmslow town centre and Handforth.
What will change on Manchester Road?
The second phase includes an extension of the existing segregated two-way cycleway. Work will also be carried out at the Network Rail bridge so it can accommodate the new cycling infrastructure.
Two bus stops will gain cycle bypasses, while new zebra crossings are planned at Bluebell Way and Styal Road. Footpaths along the route will also be improved.
Advance warning signs are expected to appear before construction begins so residents, businesses and other road users can prepare for the work.
Traffic restrictions during construction
Temporary traffic signals and lane restrictions will be required at different stages of the project. Cheshire East Council has also warned that a road closure will be needed later in the programme.
Specific traffic-management dates will be announced in advance, with signed diversion routes provided when closures are necessary.
Councillor Mark Goldsmith, Cheshire East Council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “This cycle scheme was originally chosen by the public following consultation, so I am pleased to see that we are delivering what the community wanted.”
He thanked people who attended the council's recent public engagement event and said the feedback had helped the project team understand local priorities and provide clearer information.
Why the two-way cycle lane is continuing
The council said some residents had asked for a separate cycle lane on each side of Manchester Road. However, it concluded that widening the road to provide that layout would have a high financial and environmental cost and would require the removal of mature beech trees.
The two-way cycle lane arrangement used in the first phase will therefore continue through phase two.
Councillor Goldsmith said: “This investment will now provide everyone with a better, safer connection between Wilmslow and Handforth. Cyclists will be segregated from the traffic, pedestrians will benefit from the new crossings and car drivers will have a fully resurfaced road too.”
He added that the council recognised construction would cause temporary disruption and thanked residents and road users for their patience.
Construction updates, traffic-management arrangements and the council's response to feedback from the recent engagement event are available on the Manchester Road Active Travel scheme page.
The project details, quotations and artwork were supplied by Cheshire East Council.
