A SECTION of the canal towpath between Chester and Ellesmere Port has closed for improvement works.
The Shropshire Union Canal towpath between the M53 motorway bridge and Picton Lane will be closed until about March while it is resurfaced and widened.
Canal and River Trust (the Trust), in partnership with the national walking and cycling charity Sustrans, is carrying out the facelift as part of already completed improvements along the towpath towards Chester, which were funded by Cheshire West and Chester Council, and Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, totalling £1.094m.
The trust just completed a phase of improvement from Caughall Bridge 134 to the M53 Motorway Bridge 135A, made possible due to funding secured by Sustrans from the Department for Transport. The improvement work was carried out by construction company Kier.
Ultimately, the scheme aims to link Chester to Ellesmere Port, providing a safe and traffic-free route linking residents to local amenities such as Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet, Chester Zoo, Ellesmere Port town centre and the National Waterways Museum.
The improvements will also tie in with the existing Chester Zoo Nature Reserve and the zoo's Wildlife Connections Trail.
The Trust and Sustrans are looking for funding opportunities to improve more of the towpath, up to Ellesmere Port.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here