UP to £300,000 of taxpayers’ money will be spent on the latest cycle path to be installed in a Hampshire town.

Civic chiefs want to create a network of routes around Eastleigh over the next few years.

And the latest scheme would link Eastleigh Railway Station to the Itchen Navigation road bridge on the Bishopstoke Road.

The cycleway will be in the form of an off-road shared cycleway on the southern side of the busy road and will see the current footway widened in places.

A “pedestrian refuge” will also be provided outside the Hub sports complex as part of the proposals.

The scheme is being designed and managed by Eastleigh Borough Council and has been funded by Hampshire County Council.

It will include some preparation work in the early part of 2014 followed by the construction of the cycleway in two stages from April to September.

A separate plan has also been earmarked for the Woodside Avenue area of Eastleigh which would mean securing extra funding.

This would link the road with Twyford Road, Allbrook Hill and Boyatt Wood.

Much of the work will involve widening and resurfacing to an existing footway along the routes with construction beginning by the end of this year.

Meanwhile there are also plans in the pipeline to convert a footway along the A27 Providence Hill and extend it to the B3397 Hamble Lane at Bursledon.

Construction in this project would begin early next year.

The borough council’s Cabinet member for Transport and Streetscene, David Airey, said: “These are schemes that have been planned for sometime – they are ideas that have gained public support as good things to do and will make safety improvements for cyclists and other road users.

“One of the biggest put-offs for cyclists is that there is not a network of routes. Cycleways are very costly to construct unfortunately and that’s the reason why. These proposals will help to improve the lot for cyclists and help children get to school safely.”