A NEW ‘cycle freeway’ is set to be built on one of Southampton’s busiest roads after £1.7 million of government funding was released.

The segregated section will “complement existing facilities” on Bassett Avenue, the city council has said.

However, the authority were unwilling to give any more details on the cycleway, and was unable to address what would happen to the recently refurbished road including how much space will be lost for motorists.

The scheme is part of the wider £25 million ‘cycling strategy’ announced in July last year, which aims to increase all journeys made by bike to 15 per cent by 2025.

An alternative route to Bitterne Road West will also be created with the new cash, along with a series of ‘quietways’ which the council says will give all cyclists the ability to access local services and the wider cycle network.

Civic chiefs also want to use the funds to encourage more people to get on their bikes, or take up cycling. Last year Cllr Christopher Hammond, head of Southampton’s ‘transformation projects’, said 55 per cent of residents owned a bicycle.

Liz Batten of Clean Air Southampton said: “My initial reaction is to welcome these plans as a first step, but this is an excellent start.

“In my opinion, what the city needs is to get safe and easy access to cycling. Safety is the most needed; that is the key to getting more people riding their bikes.”

Currently the city has 45 miles of cycle routes, but civic chiefs say they want more.

City transport chief Cllr Jacqui Rayment said: “I welcome any investment that we can put into cycling and improving transport.

“As a council, we have been working with 13 different groups to ensure that the proposed routes that we’re going to use within the cycle network are what cyclist want.”

The funding has been awarded from a pot of more than £40 million from the government’s £255 million Implementation Fund to support local authorities to take action as soon as possible to improve air quality.

Mitch Sanders, service director for Transactions and Universal Services said: “We’re delighted to have received this money which will be used to give people more choice when it comes to travelling around the city.

“Supporting people to cycle and to leave the car at home when possible will have a marked impact on some of the most polluted areas in Southampton.

"Improving air quality for everyone across the city is key to making it a place where people want to live, work and study.”